Fire breaks out in rehabilitation building of Tansa Main squatters in Kurla, kills 1

Mumbai: The inhabitants of a 12-storied rehabilitation building in Kurla West, where a fire broke out killing one senior citizen and injuring eight on Wednesday, were project-affected residents, who were rehabilitated from Tansa main water pipeline in 2017

Mumbai: The inhabitants of a 12-storied rehabilitation building in Kurla West, where a fire broke out killing one senior citizen and injuring eight on Wednesday, were project-affected residents, who were rehabilitated from Tansa main water pipeline in 2017.

Mumbai, India - February 15, 2023: A 70-year-old woman died and nine hospitalised over suffocation after a fire broke out in a 13-storey residential building located in Premier Compound, Kohinoor City, at Kurla, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

Shakuntala Ramani (70), an asthma patient, died of smoke inhalation, after a fire broke out at building number 7, C wing near HDIL residential complex in Kurla West. She was declared dead before admission in Kohinoor hospital. Twenty other residents, who complained of suffocation, were admitted in Rajawadi hospital . Seven of them have been discharged and 13 are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.

Chaos reigned as the fire started at 6.56am and residents were stranded on various floors of the building. There were pockets of fires, which spread from the second floor up to the 12th floor.

The cause of fire is said to be a short circuit wherein, an electric duct caught fire on one of the floors, said fire fighters. Sanjay Manjrekar, chief fire officer said, “The electric duct caught fire and it soon spread from bottom floor to the 12th floor. People trying to escape went helter-skelter. Nine people suffocated and one died. The firefighting system was not in working condition.”

The level 1 fire was doused with three hose lines by 8.42am. The fire brigade will issue a notice to building no.7 under Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measures Act (2006).

Ramane’s son Pradeep Ramane (54), admitted at Rajawadi hospital, said everyone in his family was asleep at 6.30am. “I woke up to go to the washroom but there was no electricity. My neighbour started frantically knocking on the door. The smoke was less at that time but it soon grew thicker by the time we managed to reach the terrace,” said Ramane. “My son helped my mother reach the terrace in the dark. But she is asthmatic and she fell unconscious. We took her to Kohinoor hospital, but was declared dead.”

In addition to Pradeep, seven residents, who are admitted at Rajawadi hospital are — Shivram Ramane (74), Vinayak Ramane (28), Rahul Balraj (28), Sachin Balraj (29), Dadu Jadhav (69), Alka Jadhav (65), Dinesh Jadhav (33).

Kamal Behenwal, a resident of the C wing, ninth floor, said he and his family had a narrow escape. A resident of the building for last six years, Behenwal has been living with his wife, children and parents.

“We were fast asleep at 6.30am. We were woken up and informed that our building had caught fire. The blaze, on the eighth floor, was so huge that we were unable to climb down. So, we went to the 12th floor. Some of us panicked and wore double masks, hoping it will keep us from inhaling smoke, we even opened the windows for air. Then someone screamed that we should run to the terrace. By then the blaze had spread to the duct of the 12th floor,” said Behenwal.

Luckily for the residents, the terraces of C wing and the D wing are connected and they sought refuge there by jumping across.

“There were at least 45 of us; holding each other, huddling and walking in the dark, to reach the terrace. If the terrace door hadn’t opened, there would have been more casualties. When we reached the D wing terrace, we drank water and spat out black soot,” he said.

Pravina Patil, a resident of second floor said smoke first started emanating from the duct on her floor. “My daughter was going to work when she screamed and alerted other residents. As it is a rehab building, there was no water in the firefighting system. The fire spread from the second to the 12th floor within seconds,” said Patil.

Amit Kharat, a resident of the E wing, said that around 400 families in the society are project-affected persons rehabilitated in these rehabilitation buildings in Kurla west and 97 of those families lived in the C wing.

“In 2016, when Devendra Fadnavis was the CM, we were rehabilitated from Tansa main from Vidyavihar East. We do not know if the building belongs to BMC or SRA. We are drinking water illegally, but we are paying electricity bills. The BMC has issued us an allotment letter that we have been rehabilitated here. But the L ward office has no record. They have not audited the building and have given us an old firefighting system,” alleged Kharat.

Kharat was one of the men, who rescued many residents by leading them safely to the terrace. “We lived on Tansa main for 45 years and had no water issues. We are paying a maintenance of ₹700 here but there are no facilities provided,” said Kharat.