Mumbai: A woman died and six others, including a 10-days old infant, suffered from suffocation after a fire broke out early Saturday morning in a residential building at Lokhandwala, Andheri West. The firefighters of the Mumbai Fire brigade (MFB) managed to stop the fire from spreading and extinguished the fire within three hours. However, the exact cause of the fire is still not known.
The fire broke out at 2.30 am on Saturday at the eight-storey Brooklyn Building, located along the Ashok Academy Lane in Andheri’s Lokhandwala area. The MFB declared the blaze level one at 3.13 am as the flames spread.
According to fire officials the fire remained confined to flat no. 104 on the first floor of the building, charring electric wiring, installations, files, documents, a mattress, clothes, wooden furniture and household articles.
Fire officials said seven people were affected by the smoke. Five of them were taken to Kokilaben Hospital, one to Cooper Hospital, and one to a trauma hospital. One of the victims, 34-year-old Abhina Kartik Sanjanvalia, was badly suffocated by the smoke and was declared dead before she could be admitted to Kokilaben Hospital. “She was in deep sleep when the fire started and got badly affected,” said a local resident. Her two pet dogs also died in the incident, said local sources.
The victims also include two young children — a 10-day-old baby named Pradumna and a 3-year-old boy named Rihan Gupta. Both were admitted to the ICU at Kokilaben Hospital after showing signs of suffocation.
The other victims are Aparna Gupta (41), Daya Gupta (21), Kartik Sanjanvalia (40), and Polam Gupta (40). Polam who suffered breathing problems due to smoke, was treated in the casualty ward, and later discharged from the hospital.
"The fire might have started due to a short circuit in a window air conditioner in a first-floor flat. However, the exact cause will be known only after an investigation. The fire was completely put out by 5:30 am," said a fire official.
Dhaval Shah, founder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA), said there is no fire station in Andheri. He added that the delay in building one affects how quickly help can arrive during emergencies, especially in crowded areas like Lokhandwala.
