Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief at the loss of lives in a building fire at Tardeo in Mumbai and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.


The Prime Minister expressed his condolences saying: "Saddened by the building fire at Tardeo in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families and prayers with the injured for the speedy recovery".



Injured would be given Rs 50,000, said PMO.






Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has also decided to give Rs 5 lakh ex gratia to kin of those who lost their lives.


"Govt will give an ex gratia amount of Rs 5 lakhs to the families of victims who lost their lives in the fire incident at the Kamala building in Mumbai's Tardeo area," said Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray.






Earlier, Union Minister Piyush Goyal also expressed grief over the incident and wrote: "I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident. Praying to God to give speedy recovery to the injured".







Seven Dead, 15 Injured In Fire At Residential Building


The incident took place on Saturday morning when a major fire broke out on the 18th floor of a residential building in the Tardeo area of central Mumbai.


Initially, at least two persons were reported dead. Soon after, the death toll reached seven after three more persons admitted to the Nair Hospital succumbed to their injuries while Bhatia Hospital and Kasturba Hospital reported one death each.


Meanwhile, at least 16 persons have been injured in the level-3 fire, news agency PTI reported an official as saying.


An official of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed that the blaze erupted around 7 am in the Kamla building located opposite Gandhi Hospital at Gowalia Tank.


“It is a ground plus 20-storey building. The fire broke out on its 18th floor. On being alerted, the fire brigade personnel and police rushed to the spot. Thirteen fire engines, seven water jetties, among others, are involved in the firefighting operation,” he said, as quoted by PTI.


“Soon after the fire broke out on the 18th floor, residents started running out with their family members. There are at least six flats on each floor. The blaze engulfed the 18th and 19th floors and some residents were trapped there,” another official said.


It was labeled as a level-3 (significant) fire.





A few people were harmed in the occurrence. Seven of them were hurried to the Nair Hospital, out of which, 5 have been proclaimed dead. 14 others were taken to the close by Bhatia Hospital where one has been accounted for dead. One out of the two patients admitted to Kasturba Hospital has also succumbed to the wounds.


As per a BMC official, the doctors at the Bhatia Hospital informed 12 individuals have been admitted to the general ward among the total injured people who were brought there.


According to certain residents, the power supply in the structure went off after the fire. Large numbers of the residents of the building were asleep when the fire broke out, he added.


Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has stated that the fire incident will be investigated. "Our guardian minister of Mumbai Suburban Aaditya Thackeray and Mumbai City guardian minister Aslam Shaikh will look into it," he said, as reported by ANI.


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