A fire broke out at a commercial building near Shyamal Crossroads in Ahmedabad on Monday, rapidly spreading from the ground floor to upper levels and trapping several people, officials said.
At least 25 persons stranded on the top floor, including those inside a gym, were rescued safely by fire personnel, with no casualties reported. Some two-wheelers parked in the building were damaged in the blaze.
The incident occurred at Shangrila-2 Arcade, a four-storey structure housing a private bank branch on the ground floor and offices and a gym on the upper floors.
Officials said the fire apparently originated near an ATM facility inside the bank on the ground floor before quickly intensifying, spreading to the parking area and higher levels. Firefighters brought the situation under control and ensured the safe evacuation of those trapped.
The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services sent 38 fire tenders to the spot after getting a call at around 10.15 am, an official of the fire control room said.
The fire started near the bank premises and spread upwards, with smoke engulfing the upper floors, divisional fire officer Kaizad Dastoor said.
"Nearly 25 persons trapped on the top floor were rescued and brought down safely by our men. There are no casualties, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation," he said, adding that some parked two-wheelers were also damaged in the blaze.
The fire was brought under control and everyone trapped in the building was evacuated safely, Dastoor said.
A security guard at the premises, Shrikant Tripathi, also claimed that the fire started near the ATM area of the bank and spread rapidly.
"The fire went out of control in no time. I alerted the bank staff to come out quickly. The fire engulfed upper floors and some vehicles parked near the bank as we did not get any time," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)