A 22-year-old man died and another was injured after a fire broke out at a furniture shop in Shahberi, Greater Noida, early Friday morning.
Both men were trapped inside the shop while they slept, police said.
A boy approached the Shahberi police outpost and informed officers about the fire. When police and locals heard cries coming from inside the shop, Shahberi police outpost in-charge Vipin Kumar entered the premises after the fire near the exit had been brought under control. The fire department advises people caught in fires to stay close to the ground and crawl while trying to escape the smoke. During the rescue, Kumar’s uniform caught fire and he suffered minor burns to his hands.
The fire broke out around 2.30am following a short circuit outside the shop, according to police. Because he had fallen to the ground and inhaled less smoke, police believe Aman survived. Because the fire engulfed the front portion of the premises, trapping them inside, police said the two men were unable to escape.
A police officer said he immediately called the electricity department to disconnect the power supply and informed the fire department before reaching the spot.
“By the time the fire engines reached the spot in 15 minutes, we, with the help of locals, attempted to douse the fire using water from a borewell,” the officer said. “It is suspected that Altamas died of asphyxiation,” said Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, chief fire officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, adding that the fire was caused by a short circuit.
