Noida: A fire at a power meter manufacturing factory in Sector 4 of Noida Phase 1 on Thursday morning triggered panic among workers, leaving at least 38 people injured — most while trying to escape the building — while a firefighter lost consciousness after inhaling smoke.The blaze broke out at Capital Power Systems Limited, located at B-40, around 5.30am, when about 350 employees were present in the factory. None of the 38 people sustained burns.Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was triggered by a short circuit and was subsequently fuelled by cardboard boxes stored nearby.Additional commissioner of police (law & order) Rajiv Narayan Mishra said most of the injured are out of danger. “The fire is under control and the injured are all receiving treatment. About two dozen people are admitted for various issues. Some people inhaled a lot of smoke; they are being monitored in ICUs,” said Mishra.The officer said that most of the injuries were caused after people jumped from the third and fourth floor windows in a bid to escape the blaze. Some employees also slipped and fell while running. He said that the presence of plastic granules in the basement intensified the fire, which continued to burn until late evening.Umesh Kumar, an employee and resident of Sector 2, said the fire broke out on the ground floor.“Panic gripped everyone and people rushed towards the stairwells to save themselves,” he said. However, the stairs were engulfed in smoke and those trapped decided to jump out of the windows.Some lowered themselves by hanging from the sills, while others jumped with assistance later from passersby and firefighters. Due to the significant height, 37 employees, including Umesh, sustained injuries to their limbs and heads.Police and fire teams arrived at the site at 5.41am. Fire tenders from five districts were rushed to the spot and ladders were positioned against a neighbour’s rooftop, the factory windows, and balconies. “As there were many people in the factory, the focus was on rescue operations. Firefighters broke the glass windows and helped people get out. There is continuous smoke at the scene, and more than 20 fire tenders were used in the rescue,” Mishra added.A fleet of 23 ambulances was deployed to bring the injured to the district hospital in Sector 39. Among them, two people were referred to an advanced medical centre in Delhi. Twenty-six individuals were discharged after treatment while 10 are still admitted to the district hospital.Later in the day, district magistrate Medha Roopam, chief medical officer Dr Narendra Kumar, chief medical superintendent Dr Ajay Rana and other senior officials visited the Sector 39 hospital and met the injured.
