The death toll due to a massive fire on the 18th floor of a residential building in the Tardeo area of central Mumbai rose to nine, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday. The civic body said, out of the 21 injured, five are in critical condition and 13 have been discharged.
Dhaval Salaskar (23), who was undergoing treatment at Byculla-based Masina Hospital, was declared dead at 5.15 pm, a civic official said quoting information received from doctors. A 35-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at the civic-run Kasturba Hospital, succumbed to her injuries on Thursday.
“A total of 30 people were injured in the incident, of which nine are dead, eight are undergoing treatment, with five of them in a critical condition and three others stable. As many as 13 victims have been discharged,” the official said.
The blaze was reported on January 22, at around 7 am in the Kamala building located opposite Gandhi Hospital at Gowalia Tank when many of its residents were still asleep, the official of the BMC said. “It is a ground plus 20-story building. The fire broke out on its 18th floor. On being alerted, the fire brigade personnel and police rushed to the spot. Several persons were injured in the incident and they were taken to different nearby hospitals,” he said.
On being alerted, 13 fire engines and seven water jetties were rushed to the building to douse the fire, which was tagged as level-3 (major).
Out of the seven injured taken to the Nair Hospital, five died, while two others succumbed to their injuries at two other hospitals, one each in Bhatia Hospital and Kasturba Hospital, he added.
He said that according to some residents, the power supply in the building went off after the fire.
Eyewitnesses had stated that a loud sound followed by black smoke. Residents of the Matrumandir building near Sachinam Heights attributed the blaze to an AC compressor explosion.
Assistant Commissioner of the M/East ward, Mahendra Ubale, who was at the site of the fire said, “Approximately 15 structures (all godowns) have been affected by the fire. The land is owned by the collector and leased to those who are operating the godown. Cooling operations have been going. The cause of the fire has not been determined yet. It will be established by the fire brigade through their enquires later.”
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed grief at the loss of lives in a building fire at Tardeo in Mumbai. PM Modi also announced Rs 2 lakh each to the next of the kin of those who lost lives and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. Meanwhile, Aaditya Thackeray, who visited the spot in the afternoon, had announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who died in the incident.
A four-member committee was formed on January 23 to probe the Kamala building fire incident. The investigation will be presided over by a deputy municipal commissioner level officer and a report will be submitted to the BMC commissioner in 15 days, the order had stated.
(With PTI inputs)
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