Ghaziabad, May 9 : A massive fire erupted at an air conditioner service centre in Ghaziabad during the early hours of Saturday, claiming the life of an elderly man and causing widespread destruction to property and vehicles in the area.

The incident occurred in the densely populated Patel Nagar locality, where repeated explosions from AC gas cylinders and compressors triggered panic among nearby residents.

Huge flames and thick plumes of black smoke were seen billowing from the building as fire department teams rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.

According to fire department officials, information regarding the fire at plot number F-87 in Patel Nagar was received at around 3:05 A.M. Following the alert, teams from the Kotwali fire station immediately reached the spot along with multiple fire tenders.

By the time firefighters arrived, the three-storey structure housing the AC service centre had already been completely engulfed in flames.

Officials said several gas cylinders and AC compressors stored inside the premises were exploding continuously, severely hampering rescue and firefighting efforts.

The narrow lanes and densely packed residential buildings in the locality further heightened fears that the fire could spread rapidly to neighbouring structures.

The fire department subsequently launched a large-scale operation to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters deployed multiple water lines to prevent the flames from spreading further.

As the fire intensified, additional fire tenders were called from Vaishali, Sahibabad and Modinagar fire stations. In total, nearly eight fire engines were pressed into service during the operation.

After several hours of sustained efforts, officials finally succeeded in controlling the fire.

During a search operation conducted after the flames were extinguished, firefighters recovered the body of an elderly man from the ground floor of the building. He was later identified as 80-year-old Triloki Nath.

The blaze also caused substantial damage to nearby property and vehicles. Two cars and around ten motorcycles parked near the building were completely destroyed in the fire.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.

Further details are awaited.

/IANS