New Delhi: A major fire broke out on the 18th floor of a residential building in the Tardeo area of central Mumbai on Saturday morning.
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.
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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 tagged as a level-3 (major) fire.
Several persons were injured in the incident. Seven of them were rushed to the Nair Hospital, out of which, 5 have been declared dead. 14 others were taken to the nearby Bhatia Hospital where one has been reported dead. One out of the two patients admitted to Kasturba Hospital has also succumbed to the injuries.
According to a BMC official, the doctors at the Bhatia Hospital informed 12 people have been admitted to the general ward among the total injured persons who were brought there.
The official said the firefighting is still underway. As per some residents, the power supply in the building went off after the fire. Many 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.
(With Agency Inputs)