Cops, locals, hospital staff are first responders in the Ghatkopar fire

Mumbai: The Level 1 fire that broke out at the commercial building ‘Vishwas’ in Ghatkopar could have been brought under control faster had there been a fire station in Ghatkopar

Mumbai: The Level 1 fire that broke out at the commercial building ‘Vishwas’ in Ghatkopar could have been brought under control faster had there been a fire station in Ghatkopar. Fire-fighters were deployed from neighbouring fire stations like Vikhroli and Chembur, which led to a delay in help reaching the spot.

With the fire breaking out in the meter room on the ground floor, residents were asked to climb the stairs and reach the terrace, which was connected to the terrace of Parekh Hospital in the next building. People from Vishwas building moved to the other terrace and climbed down. (HT PHOTO)

Locals said the fire brigade arrived around 45 minutes after the fire broke out. Sanjay Manjrekar, chief fire officer, explained this delay. “Our vehicles reached late, as they were stuck in traffic jams, many of them because of ongoing work on the metro,” he said.

In the absence of the fire brigade, the first responders on the scene were police personnel who were on bandobast duty at a BJP protest at Ghatkopar East railway station. Local youth, the staff of the hospital in the next building, students from the coaching class there and bystanders also assisted in fire operations.

Nitin Visavkar, one of the police officials on the scene, said that he and his colleagues went to the terrace of the building and pulled back many to safety. Visavkar was later admitted to hospital on account of breathing difficulties.

AC technician Abhishek Khot, who was passing by, was the first to assist the police officers in rescuing people. “The fire spread because of a banner in the meter room,” he said. “Hats off to the policemen who did not flinch from going inside the area. They asked us to stay here and assist whoever they were sending out.”

Khot helped in rescuing the injured from the building and helped them move to the ambulance. Since the area in the busy station road, the heavy traffic jam was cleared by locals who had come to attend the political protest.

With the fire breaking out in the meter room on the ground floor, residents were asked to climb the stairs and reach the terrace, which was connected to the terrace of Parekh Hospital in the next building. People from Vishwas building moved to the other terrace and climbed down.

When the smoke reached Parekh Hospital, the hospital’s team immediately sprang into action, using seven fire-extinguishers as well as a water pipe to assist in fire-fighting. Patients who were in the hospital were moved out, some on wheelchairs. Ambulances of nearby hospitals were called in to shift critically ill patients.

Some patients were seen taking refuge in nearby compounds. Jethalal Lala, who sought refuge in Jyoti Palace opposite Parekh Hospital, said, “I was very scared, as the hospital was full of smoke. Someone helped me and I walked down.” Shekhar Pongurlekar, who had been operated for hernia, said that he was shifted by his wife to a nearby building.