A fire broke out in the fifth floor of an apartment complex on Ormes Road in Kilpauk on Sunday afternoon, gutting an entire flat. Even as the fire spread to two more floors in the Prince Apartment, there were no casualties as the inmates were evacuated quickly.
Fire and Rescue Personnel from the nearby areas were immediately pressed into action and after a battle of two hours, the fire was put out.
Narrow staircases proved to be hurdle for the firemen, who extinguished the fire after scaling the compound wall of the nearby building.
A faulty air conditioning duct is suspected to be the reason for the fire.
The flatowners Ashok Lakodia, his father Tara Singh and other family members were not present when the fire broke out and no residents were either trapped or injured in the incident, said a fireman. Residents in other flats immediately came out of the building on sensing the fire.
Property valued at `4 lakh was damaged in the fire, officials said. Police have registered a case.