6 dead as fire guts West Bengal building

International Desk: At least six people were charred beyond recognition when a fire gutted a four-storey building housing an LED packaging office in Noida's Sector 11. Another person is battling for life after jumping from the third floor to escape the blaze.

Of the 40 staffers in the company, Excel Greentech Pvt Ltd, around 15 were inside the building when the fire started at 1.30pm and blazed for four hours. The others had stepped out for lunch.

Three bodies had been identified till late at night. The company's executive director Sanjoy Das, 45, was among those still missing. Firemen were combing the building to find out if more people had been trapped inside. They were yet to reach some areas in the office, including the elevator.

All six bodies that were found inside the Excel Greentech building that caught fire in Noida's Sector 11 on Wednesday were on the third floor, which had a biometric lock on its main door, fire services officials said.

This probably prevented those trapped from being able to escape. "It is believed the door was locked automatically at the time of the incident and some people could not come out," said a fire services official.

Source: Times of India




risingbd/April 20, 2017/Mukul