Noida: A major fire broke out at a four-storey shoe manufacturing factory in Sector 63, sending thick smoke billowing over the city’s industrial hub on Tuesday evening. There were no casualties as the blaze, officials said, broke out around 8 pm, barely two hours after the factory had closed for the day.Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar said the third floor was completely engulfed in flames by the time firefighters reached the site. Six fire tenders and firemen took nearly two hours to bring the blaze under control.To prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings, several of which are located too close to each other, firemen had to continuously spray water on the surrounding units to create a containment zone. Sector 63 is home to several manufacturing units, electronics assembly, printing presses, warehouses, IT-ITES companies and BPOs. Smoke billowing from the shoe factory triggered panic among employees and commuters.Though the exact cause is yet to be ascertained, officials suspect a short circuit triggered the fire. Officials are also assessing the extent of damage caused to the company. The loss is expected to run into lakhs, as manufacturing equipment, raw materials and other items stored on the premises were charred in the fire. No case has been filed so far.
