Mumbai highrise fire: Death toll rises to five

The body of a man, missing since Sunday's fire in a commercial complex in suburban Goregaon, was found today, police said.
Image for representational purpose only.
Image for representational purpose only.

MUMBAI: The body of a man, missing since Sunday's fire in a commercial complex in suburban Goregaon, was found today, police said.

With this, the death toll in the fire that swept through the seventh and eighth floors of the Technic Plus One building in Goregaon on Sunday evening rose to five, an official added.

He said the body of the victim, identified as Abdul Rakib (23), was found inside an electric panel on the seventh floor of the building.

It seems that Rakib, in order to save himself, had gone into the panel and closed it from inside, the official added.

At the time of the fire, Pratham Enterprises was removing a private telecom firm's assets on the seventh and eighth floors as part of a High Court order.

About 100 labourers, who were working alongside at the time of the incident, were rescued.

Four, however, died during the course of medical treatment.

Prima facie investigations have revealed that a short circuit in an electric duct might have caused the fire that resulted in smoke enveloping several floors of the nine storey building, the official said.

Goregaon police have arrested Nitin Kothari, an employee of Pratham Enterprises, and two labour contractors, identified as Ramzan Ali Khan and Salim Maniyar, in connection with the fire, an official said.

The three have been booked under section 304 (culpable homicide) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, he added.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com