Fire engulfs 13-storey Ulwe building

The fire started at around 3.30pm in the ground-floor meter room of Hi-Tech Castle Society, in Sector 17 of Ulwe. As smoke billowed upwards through the building’s electrical duct system, residents rushed out of their homes. Visibility inside the building was minimal and the smoke made breathing difficult

NAVI MUMBAI: A massive fire broke out in a 13-storey residential building in Ulwe in Navi Mumbai on Saturday afternoon, leading to around 30 residents being evacuated. As flames spread quickly and thick smoke filled the building, firefighters ensured that pets trapped inside locked flats were not left behind. Rescue teams eventually brought four cats and five dogs to safety.

Fire engulfs 13-storey Ulwe building

The fire started at around 3.30pm in the ground-floor meter room of Hi-Tech Castle Society, in Sector 17 of Ulwe. As smoke billowed upwards through the building’s electrical duct system, residents rushed out of their homes. Visibility inside the building was minimal and the smoke made breathing difficult.

“Flames were visible even on the fifth floor and 11th floor lift lobbies. The entire building was under a smoke lock,” said Ulwe Fire Station Officer Pratik Shinde.

Fire personnel disconnected the power supply in the building before launching firefighting operations. Equipped with breathing apparatus sets, they entered the structure and began dousing the flames using hose reel lines.

When the flames refused to be tamed, additional support was called in from nearby fire stations. “Rescue operations were completed by 4.30pm. Cooling operations continued for another 30 minutes,” said Shinde.