Prabhadevi high-rise fire: Residents of B-wing will have to wait for a few days to go back

Report about the cause of fire at BeauMonde Towers will take eight days, a senior fire official said.

Several residents of the upscale high-rise BeauMonde Towers in Prabhadevi, where a massive fire broke out on Wednesday, will have to wait for a few days before they can go back to their homes.

The fire started on the 32nd floor around 2.10 pm on Wednesday afternoon. (Sagar Pillai/HT Photo)

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone owns a 26th floor apartment in the complex.

While residents of A-wing and C-wing were allowed to return to their flats on Wednesday night, people who have apartments in the B-wing, where the fire started, will have to wait for a couple more days, said a senior fire official, who did not wish to be named.

The fire started on the 32nd floor around 2.10 pm on Wednesday afternoon, and spread to the top floor as well as the one below. It was doused by 9.40pm, nearly eight hours after it began, by which time it had charred the top three floors of the 33-storey building.

“Now, the society will have to get its power connection checked by a licenced electrician and submit a certificate to that effect to the BEST to get electricity restored,” he said. “Also, power has to be restored for the rest of the building, excluding the top flats where the fire broke out, and that will take time.”

Speaking about the cause of the fire, deputy chief fire officer R Chaudhari said: “The fire investigation officer will start the investigation today [Thursday], which will involve talking to witnesses and inspecting the site. It takes an average of eight days to submit a report.”