Calangute: Four employees of an Arpora five-star resort were rescued by firefighters from Pilerne fire station on Tuesday after a fire broke out in a flat at Naikawaddo, Calangute.Smoke in the passageway and staircase blocked the four from escaping, while the fire started spreading to the second floor. The fire broke out around 9am. The occupants of the first-floor flat, Rajesh Nath and his wife, had left for work in Sinquerim at around 8am. Soon after 9am, Nath received a call saying there was a huge fire inside his flat, which was locked from outside. He immediately rushed back.Pilerne fire station officials said they received a call at 9.43am and they arrived at around 10am. Firefighters accessed the spot through the first floor of a guest house next door.Firefighters put up a ladder from the guesthouse and rescued four people safely. All other occupants had rushed out when they were alerted of the fire.“The owner of the three-storey building, Gajanan Hongekar, had rooms and flats given on rent. Most occupants are working in resorts. The fire broke out in one room and spread to the second floor, but we managed to douse it. There are no casualties, and the cause of the fire is unknown. We will be conducting an inquiry, and the loss is yet to be estimated,” said fire station officials.Nath, a native of Jharkhand, said all his belongings, cash and gold ornaments were destroyed in the fire. His son was away in Jharkhand, while his daughter had gone to school when the incident occurred.
