5 rescued after fire breaks out at mall in Gurugram

A fire broke out at the Global Foyer Mall on Golf Course Road on Saturday morning. The Gurugram fire department rescued five people and no other injuries were reported. A brewery, where the fire is suspected to have originated, was gutted while nearby shops and escalators suffered damage, officials said.

According to fire department officials, the Sector 29 fire headquarters received a call about the incident at 6.18am. At least 15 fire tenders were used for dousing and rescue operations and it took officials around four hours to bring the situation under control.

“We received a call about the fire and immediately fire tenders from nearby fire stations were dispatched to the spot. At least a dozen fire tenders from the Gurugram fire department and three from private companies were deployed. We doused the fire by 10am and by noon all our operations were over,” Narender Yadav, fire safety officer, Haryana Fire and Emergency Services, said.

Yadav further said that the fire started on the first floor of the mall and then spread to the second floor. “Only a small section of the second floor of the mall caught fire. We were able to contain the fire on the first floor of the mall. We suspect a short circuit caused the fire but investigations are underway,” he said. Yadav added that the water sprinkler system and fire alarm of the mall was found to be functional.

The mall was closed to the public when the fire broke out and five people, including three security guards, were rescued from the mall. Though the intensity of the fire was not severe, rescue and dousing operations were hindered by heavy smoke that engulfed the entire mall. “With the help of hydra cranes, the firemen broke glass walls at multiple points to first create an outlet for the smoke to escape and for providing air circulation. After entering the building, we rescued five people who were trapped inside,” Yadav said.