Mumbai, July 21 (IANS) One person was killed and another critically injured while 13 others were rescued from a fire that broke out in a four-storeyed building in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon.
According to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Disaster Control, the fire was noticed around 12.20 p.m. on the third floor of Churchill Chambers, behind the iconic Hotel Taj Mahal in Colaba area.
Teams of fire brigade rushed to the spot and started fire-fighting operations.
The conflagration was confined to electrical wiring and installations and household furniture in an area of around 5,000 sq. feet besides the staircase of the old heritage building.
At least 14 residents, who were trapped in the intense smoke on the third floor and a loft, were rescued using fire-ladders and brought down safely.
One person, Shyam Ayyar, 54, who was injured critically, was declared dead at the GT Hospital.
Another seriously injured 50-year-old man, Yusuf Poonamwala, has been admitted to Bombay Hospital for treatment.
Five others who had inhaled the toxic fumes were given first aid and allowed to go.
One firefighter from Mandvi Fire Brigade, Bhurmal Santosh Patil, who also suffocated was administered medical aid in an ambulance.
The fire was brought under control in around three hours and cooling operations are underway.
As a precaution, police had cordoned off the busy Mereweather Road after the blaze triggered panic among the locals and tourists.
–IANS
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