Fire in Mumbai building: 33 persons rescued, no one hurt; blaze doused

Thirty-three persons, including children, were rescued after a fire erupted in the electric meter box of a housing society in Mumbai’s western suburb of Andheri East on Saturday morning, an official said.

No one was injured in the the blaze that took place in the ground-plus-four storey Saki Cooperative Housing Society at D’Souza Compound in Sakinaka at around 8:51am and was put out at 10:45am, he said.

“It was a level one (low intensity) fire. We rescued 33 residents comprising four men and three women from the first floor, 16 persons, including two newborns, from the second floor, 10 persons from the third and fourth floors. Multiple ladders were used for the rescue operation,” the official informed.

Since the meter box is located on the ground floor of the building and it was risky for the occupants of the flats above to come down, fire officials cut one window grille of the apartment to enter the house and rescue residents, he said.

A water tanker, ambulance and other equipment along with fire brigade personnel were deployed to douse the blaze, the official said.

The fire was confined to the wiring, installations, panel boards etc in the meter cabin on the ground and first floors of the building, he said.

A probe is underway to find out the cause of the fire, the official added.