A fire razed at least 150 shanties in Sarfabad village of Uttar Pradesh’s Noida on Friday morning, IANS reported. The blaze has left 1,000 people homeless, according to the Hindustan Times. The fire has since been doused.
Circle Officer Shwetabh Pandey told the English daily that two people sustained critical injuries in the fire. “We received information around 3.15 am regarding a fire accident in the shanties in Sarfabad,” Pandey said. “All fire tenders of the district were brought to the spot immediately and the fire was doused by 6 am.”
Media reports differed on the number of huts destroyed in the fire. While IANS reported 150, Hindustan Times pegged the number of shanties burned at 250.
Although the authorities have not confirmed the cause of the fire, an unidentified official told the news agency that a gas cylinder explosion may have led to the blaze. An investigation into the matter is underway.
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