Pune: One dies in fire at girls’ hostel at Shanipar, 42 escape unhurt

Pune: One person died while 42 others escaped in a fire that broke out in a girls´ paying guest accommodation in the Shanipar area in the city on Thursday night.

The deceased person is the 40-year-old security guard at the hostel. Fire Brigade personnel rescued the girls from the second floor of the five-storied building. Later, the blaze was brought under control, said Fire Brigade officials.

The incident took place at around 1.30 am. The rescued girls were staying on the second floor of the building. They were shifted to a safe place after the fire broke out. The security guard died while dousing the blaze. The Fire Brigade personnel rushed him to the Sassoon Hospital for treatment. However, he was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

The reason behind the fire was not known immediately. However, it could have been triggered due to a short circuit. Chief Fire Officer Devendra Potphode said, “The fire broke out at around 1.30 am. We rescued 42 girls from the second floor of the building. Fire Brigade jawans rushed to the spot immediately after learning about the incident. The blaze spread from the ground floor office of Accounting Academy. The jawans put out the fire.”

DCP Sandeep Singh Gill arrived at the spot later. According to him, the victim was the security guard, who was sleeping on the floor in a room. Though he was rushed to the hospital, he was declared dead.