How a bidi and strong winds caused a massive fire in Noida that could take nearly a week to contain
Noida’s Sector 32 near the Iskcon temple on Wednesday, spreading quickly due to strong winds reaching 40 kmph. This is the third consecutive year that the site, originally meant for housing but now used for dumping horticultural waste, has caught fire. No casualties were reported, and firefighters were deployed to contain the flames. The fire started around 2 pm, prompting the authorities to send 15 fire tenders to the site, a TOI report stated.
Burning bidi suspected as the cause
Officials said the fire was allegedly triggered by a burning bidi thrown into dry leaves. A man, identified as Ranjan Pradhan from Nithari village, was taken into custody.
«Ranjan Pradhan, a resident of Nithari village, was drinking near the dump yard and allegedly threw a burning bidi in the dump yard, due to which the fire ignited. The supervisor at the site was informed about the same by a vendor and a team of guards nabbed the accused and informed the police. He was taken into custody. The accused was drunk at the time of the incident,» a police officer told TOI. An FIR has been registered against him.
Authorities confirm security lapse
The Noida Authority confirmed that the fire was caused by a man in a drunken state. «He was nabbed and handed over to the cops and a complaint was filed by the horticulture department. He told police he was there with the intention of ending his life. Moreover, high wind speed on Wednesday aggravated the fire. We do have security personnel on the spot, but it is an open ground, and the guards must have
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