A fire broke out on Tuesday in an apartment in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh on the third floor of Avantika SK Homes, killing three adult pet dogs, while the family of four residing there was rescued.
According to fire officials, the fire incident occurred around 3 am on the third floor where Pawan Sharma (52) was staying with his wife (46), two children (20 and 18) and three dogs, including two German shepherds and a husky.
The fire department received a call at around 3.09am on Tuesday and two fire engines were rushed to SK Homes in Avantika. Officials said the building consists of three floors and is occupied by different families.
“The fire broke out in the living room of Pawan Sharma’s apartment while the family was sleeping in one of the rooms. The fire soon engulfed the entire apartment, and the family had no way out. One of our fire officers was in touch with them and constantly advising them, asking them to come to the balcony and take cover along the walls. The balcony is about five feet high, but the fire was raging. The fire officer made sure that the family did not jump from the balcony out of panic,” (CFO) Rahul Pal told HT.
Officials said fire engines reached the site within 10 minutes and rescued the family using ladders. The fire was brought under control within an hour with the help of two fire engines.
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The CFO added: “After rescuing them, firefighters broke down the doors of the apartment and put out the fire within an hour. All household items were damaged, and three pet dogs were found dead. They likely died due to suffocation and smoke, and were unable to find a way out. Their bodies were exhumed and delivered to the family. The fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit. No loss of life or injuries were reported.”
A team from Hizb ut Tahrir visited the site in the morning, but the Sharma family had already moved to their relatives’ house.
“They went away to their relatives as there was nothing left in their apartment… The family loved their pets very much and these pets were friends with everyone in the building. Two of them were German shepherds and the other was a husky. The family exhumed their bodies and buried them. They were in great pain to see them dead,” neighbor Pushpendra Singh told HT.
