Noida Sector 73 Banquet Hall Fire: About 10 Reported Trapped and Rescued, No Casualties; Cause Under Investigation

What happened

On the afternoon of Tuesday, 3 November 2026, a fire broke out in the false ceiling of the Shaurya Banquet Hall in Sector 73, Noida, in the Sector-113 police station area of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. Hindustan quotes eyewitnesses as saying smoke began to rise from inside the hall at about 4 pm, and flames were visible soon after. Hindustan, Amar Ujala and Jantaserishta report that about 10 people inside were trapped and that the fire team brought all of them out safely. Hindustan says the fire and the smoke made it hard for those inside to find the way out, and that people outside raised an alarm and informed the fire department.

About 10 fire tenders worked at the spot, and teams from Ghaziabad were called in along with those from Noida. Hindustan says the firefighters first concentrated on bringing out the people trapped and then stepped up the work on the fire, which took about two hours to bring fully under control. Royal Bulletin reports that thermal imaging cameras and breathing apparatus sets were used, that buildings nearby were evacuated as a precaution, and that traffic police made a green corridor for the tenders. No casualty is reported in any of the reports reviewed.

Chief Fire Officer Pradeep Chaubey told the papers that the fire department had information of a fire and some people trapped. In the initial probe, he said, a short circuit is feared as the cause. Hindustan adds that the police and the fire department will examine how well the fire-fighting equipment in the hall worked and whether there were enough arrangements, and will look into the exit routes meant for an emergency and the safety standards. As of 4 November 2026, no FIR, fire NOC statement, notice or sealing of the hall has been reported.

Where the reports differ

• How many were trapped: Hindustan, Amar Ujala and Jantaserishta say about 10, all rescued. Royal Bulletin says two were rescued, in its headline and body. Dainik Bhaskar says the staff in the hall all came out on their own, and that the guard called the fire brigade and the police. We say about 10 reported trapped, and that one report puts it at two.
• Time: Hindustan, Amar Ujala and Jantaserishta put the fire at about 4 pm. The reports carry time stamps from 7.43 pm onwards, and a couple of news-feed listings show earlier times, which we do not rely on. We give about 4 pm and no minute.
• Tenders and duration: Hindustan, Amar Ujala and Royal Bulletin say about 10 tenders and about two hours. Dainik Bhaskar says 10 tenders and about 60 minutes, and a news-agency video early in the day says four tenders at the spot. These probably describe early and full deployment, but no report says so.
• Sector: Dainik Bhaskar’s page and a few video titles say Sector 51. Every text report says Sector 73, and Now Noida places it in the Sector-113 police area. We use Sector 73.
• Cause: a short circuit is suspected by the Chief Fire Officer (Hindustan, Dainik Bhaskar). Amar Ujala says it is under investigation. It is not confirmed.

What is not known

• Whether the hall held a valid fire NOC, and whether its alarm, sprinklers and extinguishers worked.
• Whether an event was on, and how many guests and staff were inside. None of the reports gives a guest count.
• The real number of people trapped, the minute the fire began, and the confirmed cause.
• The result of the planned probe into equipment and exits, and whether any FIR or notice has followed.

This is not the October 2024 fire at a banquet hall in Sector 74, in which one person died. That was a different building and a different incident.

Why a false-ceiling fire in a hall is a close call

A false ceiling hides a void full of wiring, light fittings and often foam, plastic and wooden framing. A fire can start in it, run along it and fill a hall with smoke before anyone on the floor sees a flame. The reports say that is what happened here: the fire began in the false ceiling and soon covered a large part of the hall, and smoke made it hard for people to find the way out. A banquet hall can hold hundreds of guests at a wedding or party. Nobody was reported hurt on this occasion, but the facts show how close it was: about 10 people were reported trapped, the fire took about two hours to bring under control, and tenders came from two districts. We do not say what would have happened with a slightly different timing; no fire officer has said so.

For a comparable near miss, see the Banana Tree hotel fire in Ghaziabad, where 18 people were rescued and no one died and the Karera Ram Katha pandal fire in Shivpuri, which also had a suspected short circuit and no injuries. Another Noida case on our site is the Raipur village shop fire in Sector 126. Read Can a short circuit cause a fire? for the warning signs.

What hosts, managers and guests can do

• Hall owners and managers: have the electrical load, the wiring above the false ceiling and the light fittings checked by a licensed electrician, and put smoke detection in the ceiling void as well as the hall. Test the alarm and the extinguishers, and keep the fire NOC valid. Fire NOC in India: how it works and the common loopholes and the NOC application guide explain what to ask for.
• Exits that work in smoke: every exit should be open, unlocked and lit, with signs that can be seen through smoke. Staff should know where the exits are and how to guide guests. Do not let decoration, stage sets or stacked chairs block a door.
• Keep the road clear for fire engines. A banquet hall draws crowds and cars. The access road and the front must stay open for tenders; here the crowd also held up the traffic for a long time (Hindustan).
• Hosts and guests: when you enter a hall for a function, note two exits. If you smell smoke or see it, leave at once, calmly, without going back for bags or phones. Check your family fire escape plan shows how to practise this, and stuck in a smoke-filled room? tells you what to do if you cannot get out.
• Call 101 or 112 early and give the sector and a landmark. Emergency numbers in India lists them.

Our Noida and Greater Noida city safety guide lists the emergency numbers and fire stations for the city.