MUMBAI: Seven people, including two minors, were killed and over 40 injured after a fire tore through a residential building in Mumbai's Goregaon area in the early hours of Friday, a civic official said. A few of the injured are in critical condition.
As many as 30 residents were rescued from the terrace and various floors of the ground-plus-seven structure said an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The blaze started around 3 am at Jay Sandesh building in Goregaon West, the BMC official said.
The fire-affected persons were rushed to a trauma centre at Jogeshwari and civic-run Cooper Hospital at Juhu, they said. Of them, doctors declared six including two minors and as many women dead.
Another person died during treatment, taking the toll to seven. Some of the injured persons are in critical condition, said officials.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condoled the loss of lives in a residential building fire in Mumbai and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased victims. The CM said that those injured in the fire would be treated at government expense.
Expressing grief over the incident, Shinde wrote on X that he had instructed Mumbai city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar and suburban district guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha to visit the site of the blaze.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the incident.
"Pained to know about the loss of lives in the fire incident at #Goregaon, Mumbai. We are in touch with BMC & Mumbai Police officials & all the assistance is being provided. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and wish speedy recovery to the injured ones," he wrote on X.
"The incident is unfortunate and I am in touch with the Mumbai civic commissioner," said Shinde, who is in New Delhi.
Before firefighters arrived at the scene, the blaze had covered the building from all sides. It completely gutted the shops, scrap material and two-wheelers on the ground floor, said fire officials. It took nearly three hours for the fire brigade to extinguish the blaze. More than eight fire engines and other firefighting equipment were used in the operation, a fire official said.
BMC officials said they are trying to find out if some more victims are admitted to private hospitals.