2 killed in Noida apartment fire; e-scooter charging suspected as trigger, illegal building owner arrested

A fire in a Sector 66 Noida apartment killed Sneha Srivastava, 24, from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and Rishabh Kumar, 27, from Madhya Pradesh.

The fire is suspected to have been triggered by a spark from an electric scooter battery being charged in the stilt parking.

Building lease owner Krishna Kumar, 40, was arrested and booked under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence.

The building was illegal and inaccessible to fire engines due to a narrow lane, impeding firefighting efforts.

More than 100 residents were rescued; the two victims died of asphyxiation on the staircase between the second and third floors.