4 Dead, 21 Injured In Fire At Mumbai High-Rise

A floor of a residential high-rise in the Dadar area of Mumbai was engulfed in a fire today, resulting in the death of four persons and injuries to 21 others, officials said.

Nearly three dozen people were rescued from the 17-storey Crystal Tower building after the blaze erupted on the 12th floor, the fire department officials said.

The building doesn't have the mandatory occupation certificate granted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation but already about 58 flat owners were living there, according to the civic body.

The civic body had in October 2016 issued a notice to the builder and the occupants to vacate the building within seven days but it was challenged in the court and the matter is still sub judice, the BMC said in a statement.

The fire department again declared the building unsafe today after the blaze and recommended disconnection of electricity and water supply. The department also suggested to the police to file a case of criminal negligence against those responsible for allowing the occupants to live in an unsafe building.

The fire was reported at 8.32 am and was brought under control after about three hours, the fire department officials said. Some renovation work was underway on the affected floor but the exact reason for the blaze would be known only after investigation, the officials said.

“Owing to smoke and heat, the occupants on upper floors got trapped and 30 to 35 were rescued by fire brigade using special appliances and firemen donning breathing apertures from stair case of the building,” P S Rahangdale, the chief of the Fire Brigade said.

10-Year-Old Girl Helps People

A 10-year-old school girl Zen Gunaratn Sadavarte displayed heroism and guided the stranded people on how to deal with suffocation. Zen put to use the fire safety tips she had learnt during a school project in Class III, which ensured that her family and others remained safe until the arrival of fire brigade personnel.

“Since the building was without OC, its fire fighting system was not in the place,” Rahangdale said.

Two Found Dead In Lift

Four people, including an elderly woman, were killed and 21 suffered injuries in the fire, the BMC said in a statement. Two bodies were recovered from a lift on the 12th floor, a fire brigade official said.

The dead were identified as Shubhada Shelke (62), Bablu Sheikh (36), Ashoke Sampat and Sanjeev Nair.

Of the 21 injured, including five women, were undergoing treatment and their condition was reported to be stable, it said. Cranes were used to rescue the people trapped in the building.

In its notice issued on Oct 26, 2016 to the developer and architect, the BMC had said, “It has been occupied without having been certified as completed in accordance with MMC Act 1888.. and therefore, building be vacated withing seven days and not to cause it to be reoccupied until it has duly certified.”