A devastating fire believed to have been triggered by a battery charger in an electric scooter that was being charged killed two people and forced nearly 50 families to leave a multi-storey residential building in Noida’s Mamura area Wednesday. The tragedy has raised questions on safety standards in densely populated residential buildings and the charging of electric vehicles.
The fire broke out in Mamura village which is located in Phase 3 Police Station under sector 66. A battery in an electric vehicle was plugged in and it suddenly formed a short circuit. The fire started when a spark ignited nearby vehicles in the same building on the ground floor and then the fire spread rapidly.
The building, a G+4 structure that the government said was a paying guest (PG) accommodation, was home to about 50 families. But as the fire intensified, thick smoke quickly spread to the top floors and trapped dozens of people inside their rooms.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at the moment of the incident. The fire department launched a huge rescue operation and seven fire tenders, hydraulic platforms, and specialist rescue vehicles were all on scene. Firefighters worked for hours to evacuate people and fight the fire.
According to officials, all the building’s occupants were rescued successfully. But two people were severely injured by smoke inhalation during the incident. They were taken to the district hospital to be treated and later declared dead.
The Gautam Buddha Nagar Joint Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narain said the building had parking facilities on the ground floor where the fire originated, not in the basement. He said smoke from the parking area spread rapidly throughout the upper floors and evacuation was very difficult.
It was reported that there was a fire in Mamura village under the Phase-3 police station limits. Fire services were immediately on-scene and about 50 families were evacuated safely. Sadly, two people suffered serious health complications due to smoke inhalation and died later, Narain said.
Initial findings indicate that the fire started when an electric vehicle was being charged. A spark from the charging battery likely caused nearby petrol-powered cars parked in the same area to catch fire, and the fire spread through the parking area at high speed before smoke engulfed the residential floors.
Police have registered an FIR under relevant sections at the Phase-3 Police Station. The building owner and the leaseholder have been taken into custody as investigators examine whether negligence, illegal construction, or violations of fire safety norms contributed to the tragedy.
Each floor of the building has several families in two-room flats, officials said, highlighting the density of occupancy and the difficulty rescue teams faced during the evacuation.
The incident has prompted a wider examination of PG accommodation safety in the National Capital Region in terms of emergency exits, fire-fighting equipment, and charging of electric vehicles inside residential buildings.
At the same time, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident and directed senior officials to monitor and coordinate rescue and relief efforts. He said the best possible medical treatment for the injured and monitoring of the situation by concerned officials should be carried out and every possible assistance should be offered to families.
The Noida tragedy reminds us that battery charging practices are correct, fire safety infrastructure is put in place, and residential buildings are prepared to deal with emergencies before they escalate into disasters.
