Mumbai Kamala Mills Fire: Green Card Holder Back Home for Holidays Dies Along With Brother, Aunt

Mumbai: Three of a family, including a US Green Card holder who was in India to celebrate the new year, were among 14 people killed in a fire at Mumbai's Kamala Mills compound early on Friday.

Dhairya Lalani, 26, perished in the blaze along with his 23-year-old brother Vishwa and 70-year-old aunt Premila Kenia.

Dhairya, who lives in the US, was back in India for vacation and was out for dinner with his brother, two aunts and an uncle at '1 Above' restaurant.

While the uncle and one of their aunts managed to escape, Dhairya and Vishwa were trapped when they tried to help out Premila.

The Indian Express quoted a friend as saying that the family had booked a table near the restaurant's entrance. "When the fire broke out, those near the table ran down through the main gate. But when they reached the lower floor, they realised that their aunt wasn't with them. They rushed upstairs to help their aunt."

Most of the victims reportedly died of suffocation. In the chaos after the fire, several women reportedly entered the men's washroom, thinkin they were safe from the fire, but were suffocated to death since there was no ventilation outlet.

"The incident occurred after 12.30 am at '1 Above', located on the third floor of the Trade House Building in Kamala Mills compound on Senapati Bapat Marg, a commercial hub of the city," a police official said.

"The fire brigade rescued at least 35 injured persons, who were trapped inside the hotel. They were shifted to a hospital," he said.

"During treatment, 14 people, including 11 women, were declared dead. Most of the victims died of suffocation," he said, adding that 21 others sustained serious burn injuries.

Police have booked Hratesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Manka of C Grade Hospitality, which manages the pub, along with others, under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).

They have been booked by NM Joshi Marg Police Station and two of them have been detained, the official said.