Blaze at Noida Sector 18 building triggers chaos, many leap to safety

A routine morning at the Krishna Apra Plaza in Noida’ s Sector 18 turned into a nightmare on Tuesday after an air-conditioner suddenly exploded at a real estate office on the first floor, igniting a massive blaze and trapping hundreds in the eight-storey commercial complex. As thick black smoke choked the building, sheer desperation drove four people—three men and a woman—to leap from the third and fourth floors in a bid to save their lives.

Minutes to Disaster

The blaze erupted at 11.27am when an AC unit in a first-floor real estate office suddenly exploded. Within moments, dense smoke billowed through the corridors, spreading rapidly across all eight floors of the commercial complex, which houses over 50 businesses, including consultancy firms, mobile shops, legal chambers, and food outlets, employing more than 200 people.

Panic gripped office workers as visibility dropped to near zero.

Satya Prakash, who was in his fifth-floor consultancy office, recalled the terrifying moment:

“I was working when my receptionist rushed in, saying, “Sir, there’s smoke outside”. The moment I opened the door, thick smoke poured in, filling the office. I quickly turned off the power and ran with my colleagues. The smoke was so dense that our flashlights were useless. Some of us barely made it to the terrace.”

Prakash and nearly 70 others gathered on the rooftop, waiting for rescue as the blaze raged below.

Desperate Leaps and Rescues

Not everyone made it to the terrace. Some, unable to withstand the smoke and heat, smashed windows and leaped down without waiting for rescue to arrive.

Rohit Tiwari, a resident of Delhi’s Narela, was at a nearby shop when he saw the terrifying scenes unfold.

“I saw a woman --she was later identified as Inayat, 27 -- breaking a second-floor window. She was about to jump. I rushed to stop her. With the help of locals, we placed a ladder, but it didn’t reach the second floor. We threw her a rope, but before we could pull her to safety, others from the third and fourth floors started leaping,” he said.

CCTV footage accessed by Hindustan Times shows locals attempting to rescue Inayat when another man jumped from the third floor, followed by another from the fourth.

Praveen Chouhan, who was working at a nearby building, rushed to the scene and threw plastic tables to the ground in a desperate attempt to cushion their fall.

“I kept shouting at them to notjump, but fear had completely taken over. They jumped anyway,” he said, still shaken.

On being alerted, senior police officers rushed to the spot for rescue operations. Gautam Budh Nagar, additional commissioner of police, (Law and order) Shivhari Meena, who also visited the spot, said, “After we received information, firefighters and police reached the spot and conducted a joint operation to rescue people who were trapped inside the building. We rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, and they are informed to be out of danger.”

Firefighting efforts under scrutiny

Locals alleged that emergency services arrived nearly 30 minutes late, intensifying the chaos. However, chief fire officer (CFO) Pradeep Choubey refuted the claims.

“We received the distress call and arrived within four minutes. Eight fire tenders tackled the flames, and within 30 minutes, the fire was under control. Our firefighters entered the building wearing breathing apparatuses and broke the front glass windows for ventilation. Using hydraulic cranes and ladders, we rescued nearly 150 people,” he said.

“Fearing that the entire building would be gutted, people jumped before waiting for the help of emergency services,” he said.

Social media exploded with videos showing people dangling from ledges, jumping from windows, and thick black smoke pouring from the building.

“In ambulances and police vehicles, we rushed the injured to nearby private hospitals. All of them are stable. We will take strict action against those responsible for the fire and also if we find any violations,” said Ram Badan Singh, deputy commissioner of police, Noida.

Injuries and Hospitalisations

At least 14 people sustained injuries ranging from burns to fractures and smoke inhalation.

Among them was Abhinandan, who ran an office in the building and jumped from the third floor, dislocating his elbow. His sister, Deepika, said, “We were at home when our office assistant called, saying there was a fire. By the time we reached the spot, my brother had already jumped.”

Doctors at Noida’s Kailash and Vinayak hospitals reported treating fractures, burns, and respiratory issues due to smoke inhalation. Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening, though some victims remain in critical condition.

The injured included Vikas Kumar, 37; Kishore, 50; Navneet Singh, 53; Durga Chand, 49; Rahul Rawat, 34; Mohit, 55; and several others.

Fire Safety Lapses Under Investigation

Authorities are now probing the building’s fire safety measures. While a firefighting system was found installed, fire officials said the building occupants failed to activate it.

By evening, inspections revealed that only 60% of the system was functional. The fire department is now reviewing whether Krishna Apra Plaza had the necessary fire safety clearances.

“Our firefighters are conducting checks to verify if the building had a valid no objection certificate (NOC). No other violations were found during the preliminary investigation,” said Choubey.

Back to business by afternoon

By 3pm, mere hours after the fire, business at Krishna Apra Plaza resumed as if nothing of such a magnitude had happened. Shops on the ground floor reopened, and employees returned to work.

But for those who lived through the ordeal, the trauma lingers.

Authorities are yet to confirm whether any legal action will be taken against the building management for lapses in fire safety.

For now, the scorched walls, shattered windows, and haunting memories serve as stark reminders of a catastrophe that could have been far worse.

Past incidents

In a similar incident, two girls jumped from the second-floor balcony of a three-story girls’ PG in Greater Noida’s Knowledge Park 2 after an air-conditioning unit exploded in a second-floor room on March 27.

On March 5, a fire broke out at the Noida dump yard in Sector 32, which was fully brought under control after a week of firefighting efforts.

On January 7, a 36-year-old woman tragically burned to death while her husband escaped with minor injuries after a massive fire broke out at a two-story garment shop in Sector 63, Noida.

On November 26, 2024, three men were charred to death after a massive fire engulfed a factory making sofas in Greater Noida’s Beta 2 locality.

On May 18, 2024, a 27-year-old woman died, and a man was critically injured when a massive fire broke out at a hotel in Noida’s Sector 104.

According to CFO Chaubey, 310 fire incidents were reported in the district from January 2025 to March 31.