Mumbai: A massive fire erupted in a 22- storeyed residential building, Ansari Heights, in the congested area of Nishan Pada, Dongri, in south Mumbai, on Wednesday. The blaze started at around 1 pm and the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) declared a Level 3 (major) fire by 2 pm. Three people, including two residents and a woman firefighter, suffered burn injuries in the incident.
The fire was confined to the 10th, 13th, and 18th floors, the statement from the disaster management cell of the BMC said. Nine fire engines, seven jumbo tankers, three quick response vehicles, an ambulance, and staff from the BMC and Mumbai police were rushed to the spot. The fire was doused by 4.55 pm.
Statement Of Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar
“The cause is being investigated. Several residents ran down the stairs after the blaze broke out. Around 35 residents who ran to the terrace were rescued by firemen,” Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar said. The people who witnessed the incident said that more than 100 residents ran down the stairs, while many climbed to the terrace to save their lives.
A Local Speaks On The Incident
Azhar Khan, a resident of Nishan Pada and former resident of Ansari Heights, said, “We heard at least four to five-cylinder blasts. The fire started in a flat on the 15th floor after an AC caught fire due to a short circuit. In no time the blaze spread between the 12th and 18th floors. As the lanes in Nishan Pada in Dongri are very narrow, the fire department faced difficulty in carrying out the rescue operations.”
Khan added, “The building does not have a mandatory refuge area. The lane is congested and no parking space or any open space is available near the building.”
The injured persons have been identified as Nasir Ansari, 49, and Samin Ansari, 44. The female firefighter, Anjali Jamdade, 35, was also injured. All three injured are in a stable condition.
