Fire breaks out in five-storey guest house in Gurugram, four people rescued
Gurugram (PTI): A massive fire broke out at a five-storey guest house in the Sector 28 area here on Friday afternoon, creating panic and chaos.
Police, firefighters, Haryana State Disaster Response Force (HSDRF) and locals rescued four people, including three women, who were trapped in the building. They managed to douse the fire after an hour's struggle.
According to a fire officer, the blaze originated from an electrical panel on the ground floor of the guest house. It was initially believed to have been caused by a short circuit.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Gaurav Rajpurohit and Assistant Commissioner of Police (East) Vikas Kaushik were present at the spot, the officer said.
He said fire department officials received a call around 1.29 pm stating that a five-storey building (No 3401) in Sector 28 had caught fire, with four people trapped inside.
Four fire engines and an HSDRF team were immediately dispatched to the spot.
A senior police officer said the fire erupted near the main entrance of the building and smoke spread inside.
Heavy smoke made it impossible to climb up the building from the front, but police personnel and the fire brigade demonstrated courage, reached the first floor using the building's side railings and set the rescue operation in motion. They then used ropes, grills and stairs from the rear of the building to reach the top floor and rescued the trapped people.
"Acting promptly and bravely, the rescue team safely evacuated women and other residents from the burning guest house. Due to their swift action, a major tragedy was averted, and the fire was brought under control in time," he added.
The building, rented by a company, has five floors, with four one-BHK units on each. The rooms were fully occupied at the time, they said.
"The situation was brought under control by around 2.40 pm. The fire was on the ground floor, but the flames had begun spreading to the second floor, raising fears of a major disaster. But our firefighters brought it under control in time. Refrigerators, air conditioners and other items on the ground floor were destroyed in the incident. The trapped people were rescued," said another fire officer.
A Gurugram Police spokesperson said, "The DCP (East) will give commendation letters to the police personnel, the fire brigade team and common people who saved lives by entering the burning building."
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West Asia conflict: Six Indians lost their lives in 'various incidents', says MEA
New Delhi (PTI): Amid the escalating West Asia conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said six Indian nationals have lost their lives while one remains missing in "various incidents".
At an inter-ministerial briefing here, Additional Secretary (Gulf), MEA, Aseem R Mahajan, also said, "Late yesterday night, we received information regarding the tragic demise of an Indian national, during an attack in Riyadh on March 18." He, however, did not elaborate upon the circumstances of this death.
"We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. Our Mission in Riyadh is in touch with the family and closely co-ordinating with local authorities for the early return of the mortal remains to India," he said.
On Friday, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh also said that an Indian national was killed in Saudi Arabia due to the “recent events of March 18”.
In a social media post, the Indian Mission expressed its “deepest condolences on the tragic demise of an Indian national in Riyadh due to recent events on March 18".
A day earlier, the Indian embassy said alerts were received by residents in Riyadh and some other regions on Wednesday. “The Indian community is advised to remain calm and composed,” the embassy said.
Mahajan also told reporters in Delhi that "six Indian nationals have lost their lives and one is missing in various incidents".
"Our missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, and the UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India," he said.
Less than a week ago, the MEA official had told reporters in an inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia situation that five Indian nationals had lost their lives while one is missing in various incidents.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israel combine launched military strikes on Iran. In retaliation, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US military bases.
Energy and other civilian infrastructure in the Gulf region have also come under attack during this conflict that has stretched into three weeks, with no end to it in sight.
Since February 28, around three lakh passengers have returned from the region to India, Mahajan said.
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