MUMBAI: The early morning calm at Tardeo in central Mumbai was shattered around 7 a.m. following a massive fire at an upscale 20-storey building that left six persons dead and 29 injured on Saturday.
According to fire brigade officials, a fault in the air conditioning unit of a flat caused the fire, which quickly engulfed the 18th floor of the Kamala Building perhaps because of the strong sea breeze. Thirteen fire engines and seven jumbo tankers had to be rushed to douse the fire.
The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation said seven injured persons were admitted to the Nair Hospital of whom five succumbed to their injuries. Two were taken to the Kastubha Hospital where one died.
A BMC official said 17 persons were admitted in the Bhatia Hospital. While five have been discharged the remaining are said to be critical. Others were taken to the Masina Hospital, Wockhardt Hospital and H N Reliance Hospital.
Mayor Kishori Pednekar said as soon as the fire brigade received the message of the fire at the Kamala Building they rushed to the spot. “We have ordered the inquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire. The injured are being treated at various hospitals.”
BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said he has asked for a report in the next 15 days. It was alleged that some addition and alteration were being carried out in the high-rise building.
Residents of the building said they heard a loud sound followed by black smoke and recalled a frenzy among them to get to safety. “We heard a big noise and rushed outside. There was black smoke coming out of some floors above us. We immediately rushed downstairs and came into the open area,” a resident said.
Nanda Chavan, a relative of an injured person, said the hospitals sought to deposit money first before admitting the victims. “When we rushed with the injured people, we were asked to deposit the amount before admitting the patients. They even asked for Covid RT-PCR test.”
RTI activist Anil Galgali alleged that BMC’s fire brigade department does not carry out fire audits of buildings. “I had sought fire audit reports on January 1, 2018, but they are yet to furnish the details.”