MUMBAI: Barely two months after a fire on the 19th floor of a highrise killed one person in Lower Parel, six persons were killed and 24 injured in a blaze that broke out also on the 19th floor of a tower in Tardeo on Saturday morning.
The fire started around 6.45am at the 20-storeyed Sachinam Heights, situated opposite Bhatia Hospital, fire brigade officials said. Many of the building’s residents were still asleep when the blaze began.
They said when they realized what was happening, the lights had gone out and there was thick black smoke all along the building’s corridors as they rushed to escape from the staircase.
A short circuit was the likely cause of the fire.
Officials said three persons died of burns and three others died due to suffocation as they inhaled smoke. While five of the six victims were identified, the body of a man at Nair hospital was yet to be identified till late Saturday. Police said the body was charred beyond recognition and they would have to do DNA tests of family members to identify the man and hand over the body to his kin.
Building’s firefighting system didn’t work, audit report wasn’t submitted
While one of the victims of the Tardeo tower fire had not been identified, the five other dead were identified as Hitesh Subodh Mistry (40), Mausmi Subodh Mistry (45) and Meena Subodh Mistry (65), who stayed in Flat No. 1904, Purshottam Chopdekar (42), who stayed on the 16th floor, and Manjuben Kantharia, another 19th floor resident.
Of the 24 injured, 17 people were still admitted in hospitals at the time of going to press and 7 had been discharged.
The fire is suspected to have spread through the electrical duct right through the length of the building, resulting in thick smoke all over. Flat No 1904, where the fire burst out, was gutted, along with parts of corridors on the 19th floor.
While the building, which is the rehabilitation component of a redevelopment project being carried out by Kamala Group, received an Occupation Certificate in 2015, fire brigade officials said its firefighting equipment was not functional, nor had the building submitted the mandatory bi-annual fire audit report. The sale component is still under construction.
“Fire gutted flat 1904 completely and damaged the common passageway. The firefighting system was not working. The building had not submitted reports of its bi-annual fire safety audit to the fire brigade. The fire brigade is investigating. The last fire mock drill was conducted four years ago. Firemen approached the floor using the staircase and first rescued 28-29 people. None of the people were found in refuge areas. But the entire building was smoke-logged due to a common duct with electric cables running along the length of the building,” said chief fire officer Hemant Parab. An official said, “13 fire engines and 7 water jetties were rushed to douse the fire... The blaze was extinguished by 12.20 pm. There are eight flats on each floor of the building. The blaze engulfed the 19th floor and some occupants got trapped. Most residents ran down using the staircase.”
The BMC has ordered a probe. “A committee headed by deputy municipal commissioner Harshad Kale will conduct the inquiry and submit the report within 15 days... The committee will examine the cause of fire in consultation with the CFO, the reasons for the spread of fire... and any illegal addition/alteration... beyond approved plans,” the BMC said. Gamdevi police registered an accidental death report and said they were awaiting the fire brigade’s findings. “If we come across evidence of negligence, we will book those responsible,” said an officer.
PM Modi said ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to family of each of the deceased from the PM’s National Relief Fund. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each. State tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray said the government will provide compensation of Rs 5 lakh to family of each of the deceased. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged party workers to help those affected.
