Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 5 (ANI): A major fire broke out at an electric vehicle (EV) showroom located on the ground floor of a residential building in Indore's Scheme Number 136 area early morning.

While the incident caused significant property damage, no casualties were reported thanks to the timely intervention of residents and the police.

According to officials, the fire started around 7:30 AM at the 'Kinetic' EV showroom. Thick smoke quickly engulfed the upper floors of the building, where several families were asleep, leading to a state of panic.

Before the fire brigade could arrive, residents and police personnel displayed exemplary courage. Using wooden ladders and ropes from adjacent buildings, they rescued residents trapped on balconies and the terrace.

Krishna Sharma, a resident, said, 'We were sleeping when we heard screams around 7:30 AM. When we opened the flat door to escape, the hallway was filled with thick smoke. We had to cover our faces with a cloth to run. There is only one exit in the building. A family in the penthouse was rescued by the police from the terrace. There were no fire safety arrangements in the building.'

Another resident, Deepak Dubey, said, 'The neighbours woke us up. As we were escaping, we made sure to knock on other doors to wake up families sleeping in their flats.'

Praveen, a neighbour who joined the rescue efforts, stated that nearly 15 to 20 people were trapped.

'We managed to pull them out. One woman had fainted due to the smoke, and we carried her to safety,' he added.

Displaying heroic efforts, Constable Narendra Mandelia from Lasudia Police Station rescued a family trapped on a fourth-floor ledge.

'When I reached the spot, three people were stuck on the balcony of the fourth floor. I went to the adjacent building and used a wooden ladder and ropes to bring them over to safety,' Mandelia said.

The fire department arrived shortly after and managed to douse the flames within 15 minutes.

'We reached the spot with two fire tenders. Around 7 to 8 people were rescued. The fire was contained to the showroom and did not reach the upper-floor flats. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined,' said BS Hooda, Sub-Inspector, Fire Brigade.

Harsh Agrawal, the owner of the building and the Kinetic EV showroom, estimated a loss of approximately 50 lakhs.

'I received a call from the local councillor about the fire. The cause could be a short circuit or a battery issue. Although fire safety equipment was present on the premises, it could not be utilised in time due to the rapid spread of the fire,' Agrawal said.

Bhanu Singh, who lived in the penthouse with his wife Seema and 10-year-old daughter Nisha, recounted their narrow escape.

'The staircase was blocked by smoke. We stood on the window ledge. Thankfully, neighbours and the police used a ladder and rope from the next building to rescue us,' he said. (ANI)