Noida: Trapped by smoke, survivors had only one way out — through the fire

A desperate dash through raging flames and suffocating smoke was the only way out for Jasvindar Singh, who worked at a property dealer’s office on the fifth floor of Krishna Apra Plaza in Noida’s Sector 18.

“I just ran towards the exit, right through the raging fire and thick smoke to save my life,” said Singh, one of 14 injured in the devastating fire at Krishna Apra Plaza on Tuesday morning.

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Singh, who hails from Agra and resides in Noida’s Sector 36 in Noida, said, “I was at my desk when we noticed the smoke. At first, a colleague dismissed it as a minor short-circuit somewhere. But when we opened the door, we were stunned—thick smoke was rapidly engulfing the building.”

Panic spread quickly. A few of his colleagues rushed toward the terrace, but Singh instinctively headed for the right-side exit. “I saw smoke and fire raging on the first floor. Without a second thought, I ran through the blaze and smoke toward safety,” he said.

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

Singh suffered burns to his hands and face. His colleague, Laxmi Prasad, 31, a resident of Sector 10, sustained burns to his hands, nose, and legs. “There are 20 employees in our office, but thankfully, only 10 were present today,” Prasad said.

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“I initially ran towards the ground floor exit but turned back as I felt the flames burning my face and hands. My colleagues Deepika Kumari, Sachin Kumar, and Jasvindar Singh were caught in the thick smoke. Deepika and Sachin suffered severe burns and are now undergoing treatment at a private hospital. I was discharged after receiving medical attention,” said Prasad.

Singh, along with his colleagues Neha, Sumit, Naveen, and Satya Prakash, sought refuge on the terrace and were rescued after firefighters completely doused the flames and helped them down using the building stairs.

“More than 40 firefighters worked around the building to extinguish the fire and rescue the trapped people. We rescued hundreds of people, but due to the thick smoke and fear that the entire building would be gutted by fire, people jumped before waiting for the help of emergency services,” said Gautam Budh Nagar chief fire officer (CFO) Pradeep Chaubey.

“We rushed the injured to nearby private hospitals in ambulances and police vehicles. Most of them are stable now,” said deputy commissioner of police (Noida) Ram Badan Singh. At least 14 people were injured in the fire and rushed to Kailash and Vinayak hospitals in Noida Sector 27. A doctor at the emergency ward, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed, “We received 12 injured individuals. Three had fractures, five suffered burns, and four faced complications from inhaling thick smoke.”

While no injuries were deemed life-threatening, the doctor noted that those with fractures remained critical.

Among the injured was Abhinandan, a third-floor office worker who leaped from the building in a desperate attempt to escape. He dislocated his right elbow. His sister, Deepika, said, “We were at home when our office assistant called about the fire. By the time we arrived, Abhinandan had already jumped. Fortunately, his condition is stable.”

The injured who fell from the building and suffered fractures to their legs, hands, and face have been identified as Vikas Kumar, 37, a resident of 71, Kishore, 50, a resident of New Delhi, and Abhinandan, 30, a resident of Sector 28 in Noida.

The others have been identified as Laxmi Prasad, 31, a resident of Sector 10; Navneet Singh, 53, a resident of Sector 45; Jasvindar Singh; Durga Chand, 49, a resident of Sector 34; Rahul Rawat, 34, a resident of Khoda in Ghaziabad; Inayat, 27, a resident of Sector 50; Mohit, 55, a resident of Sector 30; and Deepika, Sachin, Sobari, in their 30s. One injured person, who had minor health issues, left after receiving normal medication.

More people also suffered burn injuries, and they were discharged after being administered preliminary treatment, said police. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with officials yet to disclose further details.

“We will take strict action against the responsible individual if our investigation finds any violations,” said DCP Singh, assuring thorough probe into the matter.