20 rescued as fire breaks out at T Nagar apartment, none hurt

CHENNAI: A major fire broke out in a locked second-floor apartment of Mangala Villa on Ramachandra Street in T Nagar late on Saturday, with plumes of smoke spreading through the three-storey complex. Upon alert, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) personnel rushed in with six fire engines and used a skylift to contain the flames after a three-hour operation. As many as 20 residents, including a child, were rescued and shifted to safety. Though many suffered breathing difficulty, no casualties were reported, sources said. The fire, which is suspected to be the result of a short circuit, spread quickly through the rear block, darkening corridors and stairways. Neighbours, a passing medical representative, and a food-delivery worker guided the panicked occupants towards safer sections of the building. The medical representative, Vimalraj of Padi, climbed up a drainage pipe to reach the terrace to rescue those who were stuck there, sources said. Among those shifted to safety were several women and a five-year-old child, who had retreated to the terrace as the smoke thickened, sources added. A probe is under way to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.