22 rescued after fire breaks out in Bhiwandi high-rise

“No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident,” said a fire brigade officer who was present at the spot.

Bhiwandi: At least 22 people were rescued after a major fire erupted in a 12-storey building in Temghar Pada in Kalyan Road, Bhiwandi, on Saturday afternoon. The fire broke out in the B-wing of the building, Arihant City, inside an electric duct on the ninth floor at 2pm.

According to Vajir Patel, a fireman at Bhiwandi Fire Station, “We received a call at 2.25pm and immediately dispatched two fire engines to the spot. By the time we reached, the smoke had already spread across the building and there was very low visibility. I went to the 9th floor and attempted to start the hydrochloric system which was installed in the building.” (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

“No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident,” said a fire brigade officer who was present at the spot.

Jagdish Naagar, 32, a resident of the B-wing of the building said that he lives with his mother, wife, and five-month-old son on the fourth floor. “I was in my bedroom watching a movie and suddenly I checked my CCTV camera and saw smoke in the corridor,” he added. “My mother was paralyzed, so I lifted her and rushed out of the building. My wife followed me with our son.”

The building with 48 flats and around 200 residents was filled with thick clouds of black smoke. Residents rushed out of their flats, however, at least 22 people were stuck inside.

According to Vajir Patel, a fireman at Bhiwandi Fire Station, “We received a call at 2.25pm and immediately dispatched two fire engines to the spot. By the time we reached, the smoke had already spread across the building and there was very low visibility. I went to the 9th floor and attempted to start the hydrochloric system which was installed in the building.”

Patel then knocked on a few doors and realised two children and one aged woman were trapped on the 9th floor. “I rushed to them and immediately evacuated them from the building,” he added.

The blaze destroyed the electric cable before the fire was brought under control around 4:15pm.

Another resident of the B-wing building, who did not wish to be named, said, “I was not able to breathe properly because of the smoke as it kept spreading. I got suffocated, however, later managed to rush out of the room.”

“At least 22 residents stranded on the upper floors and terrace of the building due to smoke were rescued by our team,” Rajendra Pasare, a fire official said. “The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.”

He added that further investigations are underway.