A family of 10 had a miraculous escape after a fire broke out on the first floor of a building on 13th Cross, CMH Road, on Friday afternoon.

The family, which stays on the top floor of the two-storeyed building that houses a Reliance Fresh outlet on the ground floor, was not aware of the fire till the flames had completely engulfed the building. “We found that the fire started on the unoccupied first floor of the building and spread up. Somebody from the neighbourhood informed the personnel at the Reliance outlet, which was then quickly evacuated. The family on the top floor also was alerted“, said DIG (Fire Services) M. Chandra Shekhar.

The family tried to rush out through the fire and smoke. But two women, who were with children, got scared on seeing the flames and were trapped. But showing the presence of mind, the women, who were with a two-month-old baby, rushed to the terrace and took refuge under the water tank. The fire brigade personnel arrived at the spot around 3.10 pm and it took them over 45 minutes to control the fire. “We pressed 16 fire tenders into service. Though the flames were controlled within 15 minutes, it took 45 minutes to secure the entire first floor,“ Mr Shekhar added.

The women and children who had taken refuge on the terrace were rescued by the local police and passersby. “Though the fire service was on its way, fearing the safety of the children and women, the police, along with some passersby, rushed to the terrace. A few neighbours then arrived on the adjacent building, and the women and children were rescued using ladders,“ said Ramesh Babu, a local resident. The injured were treated at the nearby Chinmaya Mission Hospital (CMH) for minor injuries. Kesar (27), Kusum (23), Palak (8), Dhaval (4) and Dishan (2) sustained minor burns in their hands and legs when some sparks from the fire hit them while getting out of the building. They were rushed to the hospital by an ambulance.

Rathipriya (26), an employee of Reliance Fresh, who was trying to take pictures of the fire on her mobile phone fainted and collapsed on the spot. Doctors at Chinmaya Hospital said, “She was brought unconscious to the hospital. We administered IV fluids immediately and stabilised her. She had started responding, but we shifted her to the ICU for further observation. It not serious and we will discharge her soon.“

The fire brigade personnel have ordered an inquiry into the incident. “It could be a short-circuit, but we are not sure what exactly caused the accident. Electronic items, furniture and other items were completely destroyed on the first floor. No loss has occurred on the ground floor. At the house on the top floor, the walls are covered with soot, but no damage has taken place,“ the DIG said.

The traffic on the busy CMH road was completely stopped for 45 minutes. The incident also created a panic among the resi dents. “We got scared as big chunks of glass pieces from the windows started falling on the road with a loud bang. The pieces were falling everywhere.
We were scared that the fire could spread to other parts of the area,“ said Lalitha, a local resident.