Ailing man, others rescued from fire in 15-storey Pune building; blaze doused

An ailing man and several other residents were evacuated successfully after a fire broke out in a 15-storey building in Punes Kothrud area on Thursday, an official said.The fire broke out between 11am and 1130am in the electricity meter room on the ground floor but the flames rose till the 14th floor, engulfing the structure in thick smoke, he said.

An ailing man and several other residents were evacuated successfully after a fire broke out in a 15-storey building in Pune's Kothrud area on Thursday, an official said.

The fire broke out between 11am and 11:30am in the electricity meter room on the ground floor but the flames rose till the 14th floor, engulfing the structure in thick smoke, he said. It was doused an hour later.

''Nobody was injured in the incident. An unwell person was evacuated from the 14th floor. Others were also taken out safely. The fire was aided by mattresses, wooden furniture and other items kept near the garbage duct on each floor,'' he said.

''We took out four LPG cylinders from a duct on the sixth floor, which averted a larger incident. The firefighting mechanism of the building was not operational. The incident is being probed,'' he added.

Pune Fire Brigade chief Devendra Potphode said people should ensure fire extinguishers are installed in their buildings and they are functional.

''As the stairs, terrace and ducts of the building are most used, one should avoid keeping waste material in these spots. It causes fires to spread at a rapid pace,'' Potphode said.