Bhubaneswar: Four persons, including an elderly couple, were hospitalised due to suffocation after a fire broke out in their apartment complex in Jharpada area here on Friday afternoon.The blaze, sparked by a short-circuit in an AC in a flat on the second floor, quickly filled the building with smoke, triggering panic among residents of the 16 flats in the four-storey apartment around 2:30 pm. Firefighters managed to douse the flames, preventing the blaze from spreading to nearby flats and averting further damage.“We rushed to the scene after receiving an SOS at 2:56 pm and arrived within seven minutes. Five fire tenders and 30 personnel were deployed to douse the flames and prevent them from spreading to adjacent flats,” chief fire officer B K Swain said.Deputy fire officer Narayan Dash said, “We found an elderly couple — Minakshi Padhi and Bibhu Padhi — trapped in thick smoke inside the affected flat. Fortunately, they were in another room and not where the fire started. We rescued them and shifted them to Capital Hospital.”Dash said that two other residents from another flat were also admitted to hospital after complaining of breathing difficulties.At least 20 other residents were evacuated from the building during the firefighting operation to avoid injuries or casualties. “Conditions of the four persons are stable. None of them suffered burn injuries,” a doctor said.Local Jayant Pradhan, who assisted in the evacuation, said, “The corridor and staircase were filled with smoke, making it difficult to bring people out safely. Fortunately, everyone is safe.”Officials later said that the apartment lacked basic fire safety measures. “We did not find any extinguishers, sprinklers or firefighting equipment. A detailed investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of fire and examine compliance with fire safety norms,” Dash said.Authorities will also verify whether the building falls under the Odisha Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Rules, based on its height and floor area.
