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Fire breaks out at Mumbai’s Aayakar Bhavan, several feared trapped
Several people were stranded after a fire broke out at Mumbai’s Aayakar Bhavan.
Fire broke out inside Mumbai’s Aayakar Bhavan on Monday afternoon. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirshekar, Image enhanced using AI)
A fire broke out at Mumbai’s Aayakar Bhavan on Monday afternoon, leaving several people stranded on the upper floors. No injuries have been reported so far. As many as 1,500 people, mostly employees, were inside the Aayakar Bhavan when the fire erupted.
The blaze at the seven-storey building on Maharshi Karve Road in Churchgate was reported at 2:01 pm and declared a Level I fire at 2:10 pm. According to senior Mumbai Fire Brigade officials, it remained confined to the basement, although thick smoke from the building briefly caused panic near Churchgate station.
Firefighting operation at Aayakar Bhavan in Mumbai. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirshekar)
A senior official told The Indian Express that at least 15 people had been rescued from the first three floors using the staircase, while others were moved safely to the terrace. A search operation by two teams is underway to evacuate other stranded people.
The MFB initially deployed three fire engines, three jumbo water tankers and other equipment. “Four high-pressure lines and two small hose lines from eight fire engines are in operation by firemen donning breathing apparatus (BA),” officials said.
Around 1,500 evacuated, 29 rescued
Nearly 1,500 people, most of them Income Tax Department employees and security personnel, were evacuated from Aayakar Bhavan after the fire broke out. However, 29 people were left stranded on different floors.
“The entire building was logged with smoke. We rescued 15 people from the first, second and third floors using the staircase, while six people were rescued from the first floor using an Angus ladder,” a senior Mumbai Fire Brigade official told The Indian Express.
The official added that eight people who had taken shelter on the terrace were safely rescued using a turntable ladder.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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