3 Dead, 2 Wounded In Blaze At Mumbai's Santacruz, Galaxy Hotel Faces Case Over Fire Safety Violation

The incident was reported at 1 p.m. at the Galaxy Hotel, and four fire tenders were dispatched to the scene.

Representational Image. (File Photo)

A fire broke out at a hotel in Mumbai's Santacruz district, killing at least three people and injuring two, news agency ANI reported. The incident was reported at 1 p.m. at the Galaxy Hotel, and four fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. Following the incident, eight people were rescued from there and rushed to hospital, according to a fire official. 

"Eight people were rescued out of which three were injured and were rushed to hospital where they died. Fire broke out on the second floor and reached the third floor. Fire has been completely doused," a fire official stated. 

VIDEO | "Eight people were rescued out of which three were injured and were rushed to hospital where they died. Fire broke out on the second floor and reached the third floor. Fire has been completely doused," say firemen at the #SantaCruz hotel in Mumbai where a fire broke out… pic.twitter.com/JCkxyZO4dw

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 27, 2023

"We tried to control the fire immediately and we rescued eight people. The three injured were shifted to VN Desai Hospital. All three were declared dead... The fire was on the second floor in room no. 204 and it spread to the third floor. The reason for the fire is under investigation," he further stated. 

The attempts to extinguish the fire and rescue those trapped inside the structure are continuing.

Maharashtra | Three people died while two people were injured in a fire that broke out in the Galaxy Hotel in the Santacruz area of ​​Mumbai: Mumbai Police

— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2023

"It is a level-one fire. All rescued people have been rushed to the Cooper Hospital," the official was quoted by PTI in its report.

According to officials, the Mumbai civic council recently issued a notice to the Galaxy Hotel, where the fire broke out, for failing to follow fire safety standards, and a case was filed in court. The hotel allegedly made structural alterations as well.

The fire broke out at 1:10 p.m. on the third floor of the ground-plus-four-story Galaxy Hotel in Prabhat Colony, destroying the electric wiring, power installations, air-conditioning system, curtains, mattresses, and wood furniture in a couple of rooms and common areas such as the duct, staircase, and lobby, according to a fire department official. “Three persons, identified as Rupal Kanji (25), Kishan (28) and Kantilal Gordhan Vara (48), were declared brought dead by hospital authorities. Alfa Vakhariya (19) and Manjula Vakhariya (49) are injured and are under treatment,” he was quoted by PTI in its report.

According to the official, the fire damaged wiring, furniture, air conditioning, and mattresses in rooms 103 and 203, as well as wash items, room blankets on the stairwell and lobby, and wiring in the common duct from the first to third floors.

According to the official, the flame, which was classified as Level I by the fire department, was extinguished at 3:20 p.m. with three hose lines, one high-pressure first aid line, four fire engines, four water tankers, and other equipment.

Speaking about the incident, BMC H/East Ward Health Officer Dr Satish Badgire said: “We had recently issued a notice to Galaxy Hotel for failure to adhere to fire safety norms. We filed a case against it in court but no one from the hotel’s side has replied to our notice.” 

Another BMC official stated that the hotel reportedly made structural alterations and that the civic body's building and factory department will take action for such violations of regulations.

According to an officer, the Mumbai Police have filed three distinct Accidental Death Reports (ADRs).

“We are awaiting the report of the Fire department to ascertain whether the hotel, which is in the hospitality business, has violated norms,” he was quoted by PTI in its report.

Once the report was received, the police officer stated that the appropriate action will be done against the relevant individual associated with the hotel. 

This comes only weeks after a 61-year-old man perished in a fire that broke out in an apartment on the sixth story of a Santacruz West residential building. The event also resulted in the injury of one woman. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a level 1 fire broke out inside the Haripreet building about 3:45pm and was reported to the fire department.

The fire originated in a unit on the sixth story of the building's C wing, which is located on Tagore Road, just across from Podar International School.

Earlier this week, a major fire broke out at a bike store in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday, destroying 500 motorcycles. However, no one was killed in the fire, which was thought to be caused by a short circuit. On Thursday morning, a fire broke out in a TVS shop and godown in the KP Nagar neighbourhood, close to the Chennai-Kolkata national highway.

"When we reached, the showroom was entirely engulfed in fire and smoke. We controlled the fire in one and a half hours. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation. Out of 1000, 400-500 vehicles were gutted in the fire" said Sanakarao, District Fire Officer, to news agency ANI.