A major fire broke out at an electric vehicle (EV) showroom in Indore's Lasudia area on Friday morning, putting the lives of 20 residents living in the upper floors of the building at risk. The incident occurred just two days after a devastating fire at a hotel in South Delhi claimed 21 lives, mostly of foreign nationals.
How the Fire Started
The fire erupted around 7 am near Khalsa Chowk in the EV two-wheeler showroom located on the ground floor of the apartment building. According to Lasudia police station in-charge Rajkumar Yadav, the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit. At the time of the incident, the families residing on the upper floors were asleep. They woke up only after thick black smoke filled the building, causing breathing difficulties.
Rescue Operation
The flames rapidly engulfed the showroom, while thick smoke spread through the building, cutting off access to the staircase—the only exit for residents living above. Hearing desperate cries for help, residents of a neighboring multi-storey building rushed to assist. They improvised an escape route by connecting ladders between the two buildings, allowing several residents to cross safely to the adjacent structure. Others were brought down with the help of ropes.
Soon, firefighters and police joined the rescue operation and safely evacuated all occupants. No casualties or injuries were reported. Fire brigade officer BS Hooda said the blaze was brought under control within an hour using two tankers. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Residents' Accounts
Residents said they became aware of the fire only after neighbors started shouting and throwing stones at windows to wake those sleeping inside. Among those rescued were Bhanu Singh and Nisha Singh, natives of Shivpuri who have been living in Indore for the past two-and-a-half years. They said they were asleep when the fire broke out and only woke up after neighbors alerted them by throwing stones at their windows. Another resident, Chetan, originally from Bengaluru who lives in an apartment on rent and runs a startup, said he also became aware of the blaze after hearing the commotion outside.
Damage and Aftermath
Thankfully, the fire did not spread to any of the residential apartments. However, all electric two-wheelers kept inside the showroom were gutted in the blaze. Following the rescue, residents temporarily shifted to the homes of friends and relatives while authorities continued to assess the damage caused by the fire.
