New Delhi, April 23: Two men were killed after a massive blaze broke out in a three-storeyed building here, said a fire officer on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday at 11.52 p.m. at the building located in Shashi Garden of Gandhi Nagar.

"Ten fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was doused 12.45 a.m. on Monday. Two bodies, which are yet to be identified, were moved out from the building. A firefighter suffered a shoulder injury during the rescue operation," the officer said.

"It appears the fire broke out due to a short circuit on the ground floor and spread to the first and second floors. The residents were sleeping on the third floor at the time of the incident. Some family members were rescued with the help of the locals and firefighters," he said.

The owner of the building lived on the third floor.

 

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Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath has stressed the importance of maintaining quality and adhering to deadlines in the construction of police lines, transit hostels, and training institutions under the home department.

Chairing a meeting at his official residence on Thursday, the chief minister directed that these projects be reviewed regularly at various administrative levels to ensure progress, according to an official statement.

Adityanath emphasised that a secretary-level official from the home department should conduct weekly reviews, while the additional chief secretary should conduct fortnightly reviews.

He added that monitoring responsibilities should also extend to district, range, and zonal police officers.

Highlighting accountability, the chief minister ordered a monthly third-party audit by technical institutes for all projects exceeding Rs 50 crore. This audit should include on-site verification and photographic evidence submitted alongside the report, the statement said.

Adityanath also underscored the need for experienced professionals in the construction process, suggesting the involvement of retired engineers or proficient professionals from reputed technical institutions, if necessary.

He further directed that no changes should be made to the approved project design after work has begun, except under unavoidable circumstances and with prior approval from the authorities.

For high-rise buildings, the chief minister instructed that elevators be made mandatory and a dedicated corpus fund be established for their maintenance.

Reviewing budget allocations and project progress zone-wise, Adityanath expressed his commitment to improving housing facilities for field officers.

Multi-storey residential buildings are being constructed in police lines for this purpose, as per the statement.

The chief minister pointed out that districts like Sambhal, Hapur, Chandauli, Auraiya, Amroha and Shamli currently lack permanent police lines, and their construction is underway to enhance operational efficiency.

He also said a transit hostel with four blocks at Aligarh Police Line will be completed by April 2025.

The State Firefighting Training College in Unnao and residential and non-residential facilities for the Veerangana Uda Devi Women Police Battalion in Lucknow must see accelerated progress, he directed the officials concerned.

Adityanath also called for the timely completion of significant projects, including doubling the capacity of police training facilities in Moradabad, Meerut, Gorakhpur, and Sitapur.

The chief minister issued similar instructions for establishing new PAC battalions in Gautam Buddh Nagar and Shamli, and for constructing forensic labs in Ayodhya and residential police training schools in Meerut and Badaun for the women PAC Battalion in Gorakhpur.

He further directed the authorities to take strict action against contractors failing to meet contractual obligations, including issuing notices and blacklisting, if necessary.