Seven dead as fire engulfs Byculla building

Chief Fire Officer A V Sawant said there were LPG cylinders and an aerosol repackaging unit on the third floor. 8220;We will examine whether there were any leakages, if any cylinders were improperly stored or if there were excessive numbers of aerosol cans,8221; he said.

He said the fire exits had been enclosed, and with the common passages and stairways full of thick smoke, the frightened employees didn8217;t have adequate escape routes.

Additional Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Seth said: 8220;The cause of the fire is not known yet. It is a matter of speculation that the fire broke out in the aerosol unit. Witnesses did say the fire broke out on the third floor. We will examine that angle once we get the fire department8217;s report.8221;

Among the dead were Chitra Laxman Mahadik 28, Nalini Tirodkar 25, Neelam Piukar 25 and Hussain Botiwala 49. The remaining three severely charred bodies, two female and one male, were still to be identified until 10 pm.

8220;Some of the seven died due to hundred per cent burns,8221; said Dr Praveen Shingare, dean of JJ Hospital. 8220;The rest died due to burns and others due to suffocation. Also, as many as 20 to 30 admitted with us tried to jump off the building, injuring themselves.8221;

Ankur Puranik, owner of Om Housing Appliances on the fourth floor, said they initially thought a portion of the terrace had collapsed. 8220;We opened the window and saw a ball of fire coming out from the floor below ours. We tried to escape from the main exit, but by then portions of the staircase had caught fire. I broke open one window and removed all my staff members including a pregnant woman,8221; Puranik said.

Minutes after the explosion, local residents spread tarpaulin sheets for workers to jump on to. 8220;Many also climbed down the waterpipes to save their lives,8221; said a local teenager.

8220;I jumped from the fourth floor fearing for my life,8221; said a visibly shaken Sagar Shinde, a worker at Om Home Appliances. 8220;All I could see was people shouting and waving at me to come down, but I could not hear anything. I just jumped and landed on the parapet. I was then rescued by the fire officials. When I looked back there was a queue of people following me.8221; Shinde sustained serious injuries to his leg from his fall, but continued to frantically look for his co-workers at the site.

The civic authorities rushed 12 fire engines, seven water tankers, five fire brigade ambulances as well as one ambulance from Sion Hospital alongside private ambulances to ferry the injured and those suffering from smoke exposure to hospitals. One man named Suresh is admitted in the intensive care unit and is on a ventilator. Five five others are under observation,8221; said Dr Shingare.

Several injured their limbs after jumping off the building to save their lives. 8220;We received five patients, ranging from 22 years to 40 years of age. One has head injuries and is admitted to the Emergency Medical Services unit. The rest have multiple injuries,8221; said Dr M E Yeolekar, director of KEM Hospital.

Back at the site of the tragedy, there was anger and grief. 8220;We had warned the aerosol company owner three times during annual general body meetings to stop his work at the estate, but he claimed he had proper licences,8221; said building society joint secretary Paras Savla.