Another fire breaks out at Reay Road leather factory

Fire-fighters take a break on Saturday, a day after fire broke out at Scindia House. (Express photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)

Twelve hours after a massive fire engulfed Scindia House at Ballard Estate near Fort area, another major fire broke out inside a leather factory at Reay Road early Saturday. A fireman, engaged in dousing the fire, was hospitalised, as he was suffocating due to inhalation of smoke.

The fire reportedly started at around 4.30 am at the factory belonging to Liza shoe company. Eight fire engines and six jumbo water tankers were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was brought under control by 8 am. But the fire could be completely doused only after 1 pm, following which, cooling operations continued until evening. The fire brigade classified it as a level III (major blaze) fire.

“We got a call about fire at a ground plus one-storey structure on Barrister Nath Pai Marg at around 4.45 am. It was spreading rapidly. By 5.49 am, we rushed more fire engines and water tankers to the spot,” said Prabhat Rahangdale, chief fire officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB).

When fire-fighters or the first response team reached the spot it, it was a level-two (moderate) fire, but it escalated to a level III fire an hour later. While no casualty was reported, fire-fighter C Erande had to be hospitaled due to smoke inhalation and a minor injury in the leg. He was later discharged from J J hospital.

Meanwhile, cooling operations continued at Scindia House, where fire had broken out at around 4.30 pm on Friday. The fire was finally brought under control at around 5.30 am on Saturday.

Six people were rescued from the building, while fire-fighter Yashwant Dagdu Bachal (52) lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen. Two other people were also found unconscious. All nine were rushed to St George’s Hospital and are out of danger.

“It is risky to enter the premises, as the building is old and the offices are congested and have been gutted. We will investigate the cause of the fire once cooling operations are over… The process may take another week,” said Rahangdale.

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