MUMBAI: Scores of employees were evacuated from the GST Bhavan in south Mumbai after a massive fire broke out in the multi-storey building on Monday, but no casualty was reported, civic officials said.Nearly 3,500 staffers were working in the building in the Mazagon area when the fire broke out around 12.30 pm, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said.He assured a probe into the fire, but clarified no records were lost in the blaze due to digitisation of documents.
Firefighters battled for almost three hours to douse the flames, which started on the ninth floor of the 10-storey government-owned building, the officials said.Pawar said the fire spread rapidly due to presence of papers and wooden material in the building, from where thick smoke billowed out. Over 20 fire engines were pressed into service to put out the inferno and cooling operation was underway, they said.
The fire started from the ninth floor of the building and spread to the 10th floor, the officials said. “The fire engulfed the entire ninth floor of GST Bhavan building,” said Mumbai’s chief fire officer Prabhat Rahangdale. He said the building was smoke-logged and hence firemen used breathing apparatus douse out flames.