People evacuated after fire in residential building, six injured

The flames were confined within the open duct, since it was filled with garbage, electrical wiring and scrapped materials, said Fire Brigade officials. While one team of Fire Brigade officials carried out fire-fighting operations, the second team rescued residents by going door-to-door.

The Fire Brigade rescued 33 people, six of whom sustained minor injuries and were rushed to the hospital. The injured have been identified as, Archana Malvankar (34), Anjali Andhre (26), Neena Andhre (50), Rutuja Pohak (17), Kailash Andhre (54) and Sachin Andhre (50). According to officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, all six are currently in stable condition.

“Since the building was filled with smoke, people rushed inside their flats. They closed their doors and took refuge near the box windows and parapet walls for ventilation. Due to this, there were no losses of life. The internal fire-fighting system was not working, for which the Fire Brigade will also send them a notice,” said Parab. He added that if the fire-fighting system had worked, the smoke wouldn’t have become so thick.

Meanwhile, residents who were rescued from the fire incident said due to the presence of smoke, visibility was low.

“There was a burning smell in the corridor. When we opened the door, we discovered that the entire corridor of my floor was filled with smoke. We couldn’t see anything outside so we shut our doors and stayed inside… Later we learnt that there was a fire,” said Ajit Singh, one of the residents rescued by the Fire Brigade.