Narrow escape for family after fire in apt

Lucknow: A family of five had a narrow escape after a massive fire broke out in a three-storey apartment in the Sarojininagar area in the early hours of Thursday, following a suspected short circuit. A young woman was injured after jumping from the second floor in panic, while all other occupants, along with a pet dog, were rescued by fire and police teams.The incident occurred around 3:45am at Parth Republic apartment in Daroga Kheda on Kanpur road. The building belongs to real estate businessman Ajay Rastogi alias Shashi Verma, who lives on the second floor with his wife Anita, daughter Sheetal, son Vinayak and granddaughter Viranika. His niece, Tannu Kashyap, 22, was also present in the house at the time of the incident.Police and fire teams, led by Sarojini Nagar fire station officer Dharmapal Singh and inspector Rajdev Prajapati, reached the spot. Firefighters deployed three fire tenders and began a high-risk rescue operation.Meanwhile, flames continued to intensify, and additional resources, including a hydraulic platform from Hazratganj fire station, were pressed into service under the supervision of Chief Fire Officer Ankush Mittal. As firefighting continued, children of the family pleaded with rescuers to save their pet dog trapped inside the burning house. Responding to the emotional appeal, FSO Dharmapal Singh donned a breathing apparatus, or BA, set and entered the smoke-filled building.Mittal said the fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, though the exact cause will be confirmed after investigation. He added that all occupants were rescued safely, and the injured woman is out of danger.