Fire in Sec 35 SCO, close shave for 20 employees

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

Over 20 employees had a narrow escape when an electricity cable and meters caught fire at the entrance to the first and second floors of SCO 305-306 in Sector 35-B here on Tuesday.

Around 11.30 am, the electricity cable and the meters caught fire, creating panic among the employees working in the offices situated on the first and second floor of the building.

Four fire tenders reached the spot and rescued the people trapped inside the offices. The fire was controlled by bike tenders within 20 minutes of the incident, but it took two hours for the smoke to clear. A team of the Fire Department, led by sub-fire officer Lal Bahadur Gautam, entered the building after breaking the glass and rescued the employees.

CP Kaushal, owner of an architectural firm, The Creator, said around 11.30 am, his staff noticed smoke coming from the stairs. Within seconds, the entire office situated on the second floor was filled with smoke. He called the fire brigade and broke the glass of the front office to make way for the air. He said there was no exit in the building and all employees were rescued through a ladder arranged by the firefighters.

Ashwini Sharma, development officer of National Insurance Company, whose branch office is situated on the first floor of the building, said it was a harrowing experience for all 10 employees working in the office. He said they were trapped inside the office and got panicky. He said the building had only one staircase.

Dimple, a woman employee, said there was sparking in the cable on the staircase also due to which the smoke increased. She said all of them moved to the back of the office and opened a window.

Kanwarji, another employee, said they were rescued by Fire Department employees through a ladder. Fire officials said they would inspect the building soon. They said initial reports suggested that the fire was caused by a short circuit and the building also lacked firefighting equipment. Two more fire incidents were reported on Tuesday, one from Shastri Market, Sector 22, and the other from IT Park.