Noida: An FIR has been registered against unidentified persons for alleged lapses in safety arrangements after a fire broke out at a roadside cafeteria in Raipur village in Sector 126 on Saturday, killing a 24-year-old worker.The fire started at the cafeteria and spread to four other adjacent shops. Eight gas cylinders also exploded during the incident, intensifying the blaze. While other employees managed to get out, Sahil Sharma, who was supervising renovations at the cafeteria, lost consciousness as thick smoke spread through the shop and got trapped inside. He suffered severe burn injuries. Police personnel later pulled him out of the premises in an unconscious condition and rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.Sharma’s father, Dilip Chand, registered a complaint demanding an investigation into the roles of the cafe operator, contractor and others responsible for the construction and electrical fittings of the cafe. He raised concerns about the availability of adequate firefighting equipment and other essential safety measures at the workplace and sought action against anyone found responsible for negligence.Police said the allegations are being investigated and the actual cause of the fire would be established after a detailed inquiry.An officer said police are also investigating a social media post that allegedly linked the fire to communal violence and circulated misleading claims about five deaths in the city.A post shared on X by an account named “Anushi Tiwari Proud Indian” claimed that a confrontation had taken place in Noida in protest against the demolition of a mosque and five people had been killed in firing. As ‘proof’ of the incident, it shared photographs and videos of the fire at the shops.Police have described the claims as false and misleading and registered a separate case at Sector 126 police station in connection with the post. According to the investigators, the same account may have attempted to incite violence during a workers’ protest.
