Major fire in Girgaum

May 26: Over 25 residents had a narrow escape when two of the four storeys of the 80-year-old Jadav building at V P Road in Girgaum caught fire while repairs were being carried out on the second floor. The ill-fated structure was on the list of old buildings of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA).

According to residents, the fire broke out when welding work was being done at about 7.24 pm. “The fire engulfed the entire second floor in no time, but luckily the workers raised an alarm quickly enough for others to run for safety,” said Mulukchand Mehta, a resident of the third floor.

“In a matter of minutes, an oxygen cylinder used for welding blew up followed by massive explosions of three cooking gas cylinders in the adjoining flats,” he added. Amod Usapkar, a MHADA member who rushed to the spot, told Express Newsline that the building was being repaired by the housing board for the last three months. “There were eight families in the building, but the flat in which the repairs were being carried out was empty,” he said.

Eight fire engines and four tankers were rushed to the spot. The blaze was brought under control after four hours.