Fire Breaks Out in AC Blast at Gandhi Nagar Apartment, GNLU Professor’s Mother Dies in Blaze

A severe fire broke out due to a short circuit in the air conditioner of a fourth-floor apartment in Sarthak Flats in Hadmatiya, Gandhinagar. Women professors of Gujarat National University and their mothers were evacuated from the flats, while a 75-year-old mother succumbed to death due to suffocation. The quick action by the Gandhinagar Fire Brigade team ensured the safe evacuation of residents and brought the blaze under control upon arrival at the scene.

The Fire Engulfs the Fourth-floor Apartment

In Gandhinagar’s Sarthak Residency Society, the fourth-floor apartment A/404, where 75-year-old Ranjanben Nagar resides with her mother, Ranjanben, witnessed a tragic incident of her mother’s demise due to suffocation caused by the fire from a short circuit in the air conditioner.

Household Items Consumed by the Fire

Yesterday, Dr. Ranjitaben and her mother, Ranjanben, were sleeping in separate rooms. Suddenly, at around two to three in the morning, a sudden blast occurred in the AC, followed by a raging fire. The fire spread rapidly, causing extensive damage to household furniture and belongings. Amidst chaos, Dr. Ranjitaben managed to rescue her mother and other residents rushed to help.

Elderly Couple Overwhelmed by Smoke Inhalation

Subsequently, Dr. Ranjitaben evacuated her elderly mother, Ranjanben, from the flat. However, due to the smoke inhalation from the fire, Ranjanben collapsed and succumbed to her injuries. Meanwhile, the Gandhinagar Fire Brigade team arrived with immediate medical assistance, transporting Ranjanben to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital via 108 ambulances. Unfortunately, doctors at the hospital declared Ranjanben dead on arrival.

Residents’ Lives Hang in the Balance

On the other hand, the fire brigade team successfully evacuated around 100 residents from the third and fourth floors to safety below the fourth floor to control the blaze, which had spread to the entire flat due to the intensity of the fire. Visibility was severely compromised, but the team managed to contain the fire and prevent its spread to other flats by continuously dousing it with water.

Elderly Ranjanben’s Breath Stifled by Smoke

Following the incident, Sector-7 Police and PSI N.V. Nayi rushed to the scene along with their team. Chief Fire Officer Khajah Dastoor reported that the primary cause of the fire was suspected to be a short circuit in the room’s AC. As a result of this incident, 75-year-old Ranjanben Nagar lost her life due to suffocation from smoke inhalation. Ranjitaben serves as a professor at GNLU, and she and her daughter were the only occupants of the flat. Preliminary investigations suggest that even incense sticks were kept in the house. Suddenly, a fire broke out in the AC at midnight. Ranjanben’s breath was stifled by smoke, leading to her demise. FSL assistance is being sought to determine the exact cause of the fire.