GHAZIABAD: A 55-year-old man died while his son suffered burn injuries trying to save him when an electric wire in the basement of a three-storey building caught fire and the flames spread quickly to the top floors in Loni on Saturday night. Most of the families were asleep when the fire broke out in the basement, which is used as a parking space for two-wheelers.Seven motorcycles parked there were reduced to cinders. The deceased has been identified as Sunil Sagar, an auto driver, while his son Rohit (22) is a courier boy. Rohit, who suffered burns in the limbs and chest, has been admitted to GTB Hospital. The family lives in a flat on the first-floor of the building.The building, constructed on two adjacent plots, has 24 one-bedroom flats, of which 17 are occupied. Residents said there were around 40 people in the building when the fire broke out.“Smoke spread quickly through the stairwell into the top floors as the motorcycles caught fire. Those living on the first and second floors rushed to the terrace and crossed over to the adjoining building, which shares its wall with our apartment. A family of four was trapped inside a ground-floor flat as the blaze was most intense near their doorway. They sprayed water on the flames, but to no avail. Neighbours rescued them after breaking the grille of their balcony,” said Gaurav Sharma (32), an accountant who lives on the second floor.Residents of the building and neighbours had rushed to help before the fire tenders could arrive. Atul Mishra, a pharma company employee, said Rohit was injured while trying to save his father.“Rohit had rushed to the terrace but soon realised that his father had been left behind. He returned to his flat to fetch his father, but could not find him. By that time, the flames had spread to the top floors and he suffered burns,” Mishra said.The fire department said they received an alert around 12.15am. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot.“The residents, except for the father-son duo, had all escaped unhurt by the time our fire tenders reached the building. Around four to five flats on the ground and first floors were damaged,” chief fire officer Sunil Kumar Singh said.Electricity department officials said the fire had started possibly because of faults in the building’s worn-out wires.“The main electricity panel of the building had been sealed inside a metal box and locked during a drive undertaken in 700 houses in Loni recently. The panel box was found intact with its lock. Though the building has 24 flats, there is no agency to look after its maintenance. Several wires near the electricity panel have been joined and repaired by residents themselves. Since room heaters are used during winter, the old wires could have caught fire because of the increased load,” discom executive engineer PK Goyal said.No case had been registered till late Sunday evening.“An autopsy was conducted and its report is awaited. Suffocation is the probable cause of his death. The victim’s son has suffered around 40% burns,” said Sanjay Verma, the SHO of Loni police station.

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