More than a dozen fire incidents were reported across Gurugram on Diwali night, including a blaze at a four-storey house in DLF Phase 4 and a rocket firecracker entering a flat in Sector 67. No injuries were reported in the incidents.
The most serious fire broke out around 8.30 pm on the ground floor of House Number 5523 at Orchid Crescent in DLF Phase 4. Preliminary information suggests that a short circuit in the house’s electrical panel triggered the blaze. Sparks quickly engulfed the panel, and smoke filled the ground floor and spread to the neighbourhood. Residents fled the building to safety, causing panic in the upscale locality.
In Sector 67, a rocket firecracker entered a flat at Ansal Essencia society. Fortunately, the residents had stepped out moments earlier and escaped unhurt.
Fires incidents were also reported from Sector 12, Sector 13 and Khandsa Road, among other places. A shop opposite Krishna Palace in Naya Basti also caught fire. The fire brigade control room received calls through the night, with fire tenders rushing from one spot to another.
Fire officer Narender Singh said no injuries or loss of property had been reported. However, the electrical panel and a large part of the house in DLF Phase 4 were gutted. Power supply to the entire block was temporarily switched off as a precautionary measure.
The police and the fire department were alerted following the incidents. Firefighters brought the blaze under control, preventing it from spreading to the upper floors and to neighbouring houses.
The incidents were reported despite curbs under Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city. The authorities had allowed only green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali.
Fire safety experts have repeatedly warned that overloaded electrical panels and firecrackers being burst near residential buildings pose significant fire risks, particularly in high-rise residential areas.
