RAJKOT: Rajkot witnessed another fire tragedy Friday when three delivery men died during a blaze inside a 12-storey upscale residential building that had not renewed its fire NOC for a decade.
Sources suspect an electrical short circuit in an unoccupied sixth-floor flat of the Atlantis building where furniture work was underway and a lot of wood had been piled inside, possibly fuelling the flames.
Although Rajkot Municipal Corporation had issued two notices to Atlantis for NOC renewals, the tragedy raised questions about its “aggressive” fire safety enforcement measures in the wake of the May 2024 TRP Game Zone blaze that had claimed 27 lives in the Gujarat city. RMC fire officer Ashoksinh Jhala contended that no coercive action was taken against the management of Atlantis “since it was a residential premises”.
Ajay Makwana (31), Kalpesh Leva (29), and his cousin Mayur Leva (27) were caught in the inferno while delivering orders on the 8th and 10th floors of the building. While descending in the lift, the three were trapped as electricity was cut off due to the fire. When the lift stopped at the nearest floor, they took the stairs, unaware of the spreading smoke. Asphyxiation due to the dense smoke proved fatal.
Those on 7th floor and above rushed to the terrace and escaped via a common passage to an adjacent tower.
“Once negligence is established, we will register an offence,” DCP Jagdish Bangarwa told TOI. RMC fire officer Jhala said the building’s fire system was non-functional. “The NOC was last renewed in 2014. Despite notices issued in 2021 and 2023, no renewal was sought,” Jhala added.
