Indore: Massive fire breaks out at EV showroom; residents rescued using ladders and ropes
Indore, June 5
A major fire broke out at an electric vehicle showroom located on the ground floor of a residential building in Indore's Scheme Number 136 area early morning.
While the incident caused significant property damage, no casualties were reported thanks to the timely intervention of residents and the police.
According to officials, the fire started around 7:30 AM at the 'Kinetic' EV showroom. Thick smoke quickly engulfed the upper floors of the building, where several families were asleep, leading to a state of panic.
Before the fire brigade could arrive, residents and police personnel displayed exemplary courage. Using wooden ladders and ropes from adjacent buildings, they rescued residents trapped on balconies and the terrace.
Krishna Sharma, a resident, said, "We were sleeping when we heard screams around 7:30 AM. When we opened the flat door to escape, the hallway was filled with thick smoke. We had to cover our faces with a cloth to run. There is only one exit in the building. A family in the penthouse was rescued by the police from the terrace. There were no fire safety arrangements in the building."
Another resident, Deepak Dubey, said, "The neighbours woke us up. As we were escaping, we made sure to knock on other doors to wake up families sleeping in their flats."
Praveen, a neighbour who joined the rescue efforts, stated that nearly 15 to 20 people were trapped.
"We managed to pull them out. One woman had fainted due to the smoke, and we carried her to safety," he added.
Displaying heroic efforts, Constable Narendra Mandelia from Lasudia Police Station rescued a family trapped on a fourth-floor ledge.
"When I reached the spot, three people were stuck on the balcony of the fourth floor. I went to the adjacent building and used a wooden ladder and ropes to bring them over to safety," Mandelia said.
The fire department arrived shortly after and managed to douse the flames within 15 minutes.
"We reached the spot with two fire tenders. Around 7 to 8 people were rescued. The fire was contained to the showroom and did not reach the upper-floor flats. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined," said BS Hooda, Sub-Inspector, Fire Brigade.
Harsh Agrawal, the owner of the building and the Kinetic EV showroom, estimated a loss of approximately ₹50 lakhs.
"I received a call from the local councillor about the fire. The cause could be a short circuit or a battery issue. Although fire safety equipment was present on the premises, it could not be utilised in time due to the rapid spread of the fire," Agrawal said.
Bhanu Singh, who lived in the penthouse with his wife Seema and 10-year-old daughter Nisha, recounted their narrow escape.
"The staircase was blocked by smoke. We stood on the window ledge. Thankfully, neighbours and the police used a ladder and rope from the next building to rescue us," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is terrifying. Electric vehicles are supposed to be the future, but if battery fires can spread so fast that people can't even use fire extinguishers, we need better safety standards. Japan and South Korea have strict EV battery regulations. India should learn from them before more lives are endangered.
Thank God no one died. But why is it always the case that fire safety measures are just "present on paper" but not usable in emergencies? Kinetic EV owner says fire equipment was there but couldn't be used because fire spread too fast. 🤷♀️ Seriously, what is the point of having safety equipment if it fails when actually needed?
Hats off to the neighbours who knocked on doors to wake people up. That's what community is all about 🫶 But we need to stop glorifying heroism after disasters and start preventing them. Indore municipal corporation should inspect all buildings with commercial spaces on ground floor. Ek hi rasta hoga toh kya hoga jab aag lage?
As someone who works in fire safety engineering, this is a textbook case of poor building design. Single exit stairwell? Smoke filling the only staircase? That's a death trap waiting to happen. The police and residents were lucky to have ladders available, but this should never have been allowed. India's building codes need enforcement.
I'm impressed by the quick thinking of the residents and police. Using wooden ladders from adjacent buildings to rescue from balconies - that's pure jugaad and bravery combined 🔥 But the real issue is why a showroom selling lithium-ion batteries is
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