Fire breaks out in Marine Lines flat; 4 rescued safely. Separate blaze at hotel near Mumbai Airport doused | File Photo
Mumbai: A fire broke out in a flat on the 5th floor of Marine Chamber in Marine Lines on Saturday, causing panic as flames spread rapidly through the electric wiring and wooden furniture.
The fire brigade responded promptly, rescuing four residents including a senior citizen trapped in the adjacent flat, which was affected by the blaze through the staircase.
Meanwhile, residents on lower floors had already evacuated safely. The fire was brought under control within an hour and a half, and no injuries were reported, as confirmed by fire officials.
The fire broke out in flat No. 502 of a ground-plus-five-storey building, located next to Zaffer Hotel near Gol Masjid, at 12:26 pm on Saturday. The blaze was confined to electric wiring, installations, wooden furniture, important documents, false ceiling, LP gas supply rubber tubes, regulators, mattresses, sofa sets, and household items, covering an area of about 2,000 sq. ft. in the flat.
MFB officials, along with fire tenders, ambulance, breathing apparatus, and other firefighting equipment, swiftly rushed to the spot for fire fighting operations.
“While the flat owners were not home at the time of the incident, their maid managed to escape quickly when the fire broke out. Residents on the lower floors, who had already evacuated, informed us that some people were trapped on the 5th floor. Upon reaching the floor, we encountered dense smoke, which prevented the trapped individuals from finding the staircase. While one team led them down the stairs, another worked on extinguishing the fire,” said a fire official.
“The building was old, and the fire spread quickly throughout the flat, rendering fire extinguishers ineffective. Despite the intensity, fire officials managed to contain the blaze to the affected floor, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the building. The LP gas cylinders in the flat caught fire, which posed a risk. However, we managed to douse the flames by 2 pm,” the official added.
While an electrical short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire, the exact cause will be determined after further investigation, according to the officials.
Fire on hotel’s terrace…
In another incident on Saturday evening, a fire broke out on the terrace of Hotel Fairmont, near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Terminal No. 2, Vile Parle (E). According to fire officials, the fire was confined to the AC unit and exhaust ducting, affecting an area of approximately 1,000 to 1,500 sq. ft. on the terrace of the 10-floor building, which also has three basement levels and a ground floor.
The incident was classified as a Level 1, minor fire by the MFB. Three fire engines and three jumbo tankers were immediately dispatched to the site. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as confirmed by the fire officials.
