Mumbai fire at Andheri high-rise kills 56-year-old security guard trapped in lift

A 56-year-old security guard died after getting trapped in a lift during a fire at a 17th-floor flat in Mumbai’s Andheri West. A diya is suspected to have triggered the blaze.

A 56-year-old security guard died of suffocation after getting trapped in a lift during a fire at a 17th-floor flat in Mumbai’s Andheri West on Saturday night, with a diya lit in the apartment’s temple shrine suspected to have triggered the blaze, police said.

A 56-year-old guard died of suffocation after smoke spread through a Mumbai high-rise and left him trapped in a lift during a fire suspected to have been caused by a diya.

Police identified the deceased as Dhanpat Mahatu. He was found unconscious inside the lift and was declared brought dead at Cooper Hospital.

According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the fire was reported at around 9.50 pm on Saturday from flat number 1701 of the high-rise. It was initially confined to electrical wiring, installations and household articles inside the apartment.

Chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar said a preliminary assessment suggested that a diya in the house’s temple shrine may have caused the fire.

“Citizens should not place diyas near curtains or other combustible materials. They should be covered. The family members had gone out for dinner when the fire broke out. The elderly parents were rescued by the domestic help, who brought them to safety in time,” he said.

Ambulgekar said the security guard appeared to have entered the lift instead of taking the staircase after smoke began spreading. The lift reportedly stopped functioning, leaving him trapped on the 17th floor.

“The fire could have been doused with water. In the event of a fire, people should either use the staircase or the designated evacuation lift. The evacuation system was functional,” he said.

Fire brigade personnel, along with the police, a 108 ambulance and ward staff, went to the building. The fire was brought under control at 10.37 pm, according to the fire brigade.

Dhaval Shah of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association (LOCA), who lives in the area, said the incident occurred in the C wing of the building. He said the fire had broken out between 9.15 pm and 9.30 pm and was doused by around 11.45 pm, while cooling operations continued past midnight.