Inquiry into fire at Gzb high-rise still on, cause yet to be established

RWA secretary Ritesh Satia said residents will aid the committee and police during the inquiry, including facilitating CCTV access and supporting a forensic audit to determine the exact cause of the fire in the ninth-floor flat.

The probe committee has visited the high-rise and the incident site. Officials stated the fire started from the ninth-floor flat, but the exact cause remains undetermined. The ninth-floor flat contained thinner, paint and other materials and was unoccupied with finishing work underway. Police have been asked to review CCTV footage from the day of the incident; the first fire call was around 8:48 am after a passerby saw the blaze around 8:15 am.

The Chief Fire Officer said the fire department sent a communication to the Gaur Green Avenue Resident Welfare Association requesting immediate responses on the fire NOC, its renewal, the quality and systems installed at the high-rise, and whether additional constructions, such as a park and a religious structure, were approved by the Ghaziabad Development Authority; if there is a delay, the matter will be referred to the DM.

Officials said a committee appointed by Ghaziabad district magistrate Ravinder Kumar Mandar has begun the inquiry into the blaze. The committee indicated the report would be ready in the next two days.

A major fire at the Gaur Green Avenue high-rise in Ghaziabad gutted eight flats and damaged four to six other flats located on floors 8 through 13.