Bhubaneswar: It was a lucky escape for residents of a posh apartment located at Patia Square as they were rescued promptly after a fire engulfed their building on Thursday morning.
Sources said the fire broke out on the eighth floor of the multi-storied apartment. The inhabitants on spotting the fire immediately called up the fire services.
Responding to the call, two fire tenders were pressed into the job while local police helped in the rescue operation.The fire-fighters used water hoses and fire extinguishers to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to other parts.
The thick smoke made it difficult for them to navigate, but they bravely pushed through to ensure everyone’s safety. Police guided people towards emergency exits. Some residents were in a state of panic, but police managed to calm them down.
“At the first sight, I thought someone was performing puja at home but after realising that it was a fire, I rushed to the place and asked people to come out,” a security guard of the apartment said. The firefighters took an hour to extinguish the flames. A fire safety officer present at the incident site said that short circuit might have be the reason of the fire. He said a probe will be launched to find out the reason of fire.
This is the third such major fire in Patia and its surrounding areas in the recent past. A fire broke out in a godown near KIIT Square in April. Few days before in March, a fire engulfed a commercial building at KIIT Square. “The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of fire safety measures in high-rise buildings. There should be an audit of every building,” Patia resident Hiten Sharma said.

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