Vadodara: Nearly 400 people escaped in the nick of time after a massive fire engulfed a nine-storey commercial complex in Gotri on Wednesday afternoon, triggering panic in the area.The blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, broke out at Iscon Atria, a posh commercial complex located on Gotri main road that houses around 40 offices, many of them belonging to information technology (IT) firms.At the time the fire erupted, about 400 people were present in the building. However, no injuries were reported as occupants either rushed out on their own or were evacuated by the fire brigade.Within about 15 minutes of the blaze, several fire tenders reached the spot and began firefighting operations. By then, the flames had spread to the upper floors and thick black smoke had engulfed the entire building.Fire brigade officials said all occupants had safely exited the building before the flames spread further across the floors.Harendrasinh Chauhan, in-charge chief fire officer, said, “Prima facie investigations indicate that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit. The top three floors of the building were affected but fortunately most offices on these floors were closed. We didn’t have to evacuate anyone as all occupants had already exited safely.”Vivek Sapkal, who works in a video production office on the first floor, said the fire began around 3.30pm on the sixth floor. “Initially it appeared to be a small incident and the flames were doused using a fire extinguisher. But within a few minutes the fire suddenly flared up and spread rapidly. Hearing the screams, I stepped out and saw smoke everywhere. I immediately asked my colleagues and others on our floor to rush out,” he said.Former councillor Rajesh Ayre said he rushed to the spot after being informed by friends working in the building. “When I reached there, I saw panicked people running down the floors while smoke continued to spread,” he said. Ayre alleged that the fire brigade’s hydraulic elevated platform vehicle arrived more than half an hour later as its driver was not available.Amish Sheth, who works on the fifth floor, said offices on the top three floors were completely gutted in the blaze.Mitesh Patel, estate manager of Iscon Atria, said the building has a valid fire NOC and safety protocols are followed. “The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” he added.Occupants allege safety systems failedBusiness owners with offices in the complex alleged that the fire alarm did not go off when the blaze started and that the sprinkler system also failed to activate. “We haven’t had any fire safety drill in the building for a long time,” said one office owner.2 lakh litres of water usedAround 15 fire brigade vehicles and more than 40 firefighters were deployed to battle the blaze. Officials said over two lakh litres of water were used to control the fire, which continued to rage for several hours. Firefighters also had to break open portions of the building’s glass façade to release the dense smoke trapped inside.
