Fire breaks out in 14-storey Girgaon building; 27 rescued

27 people, including 17 women, 5 men, and 5 children, were rescued from a high-rise building fire in Mumbai. The fire was brought under control by residents before the arrival of the fire brigade. No injuries were reported.

Mumbai: Twenty-seven people, including 17 women, five men, and five children were rescued on Saturday around 2:30pm after a fire erupted in a high-rise building in Girgaon. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the fire erupted in the electrical duct on the first floor of the ground plus 14 storey building named Ganesh Krupa CHS, on Dr Deshmukh Lane, Sikka nagar, Girgaon.

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A major tragedy was averted by the building residents who tied a wet cloth on their mouths and entered the first floor brining the fire under control before the arrival of the fire brigade.

Locals said that the building was redeveloped from a three-storey to a high-rise just a few years back and the firefighting equipment was all functional.

“We all saw smoke on the first floor and came out. Some of the building members braved and brought the fire under control on the first floor itself.” Raju, a building resident said. After the fire, residents gathered outside the building to work on restoring the power supply.

“A thick smoke started erupting from the building, hence some people ran on the terrace, and some climbed down. They were later rescued by the fire brigade.” said another resident.

Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer, Mumbai fire brigade said, “It was a small fire which was brought under control by our firemen. Rescue operations are common, and no injuries were reported. Preliminary, there were no issues with fire NOC or functioning of the firefighting equipment. It was a fire in the electrical duct.”

BMC’s disaster management department said that the fire was confined to electric wiring, and electric installations in the electric duct on the first floor. “It was extinguished by firemen by using 01 Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) extinguisher donning a breathing apparatus set and cutting off the electric supply. No injuries were reported in the incident,” it added.