Fire in Mumbai apartment kills 4 of family; 5 injured
MUMBAI: In a matter of hours, Abbas Kapasi, a chartered accountant, lost his elderly father, wife and two children to a major fire that broke out in his apartment at Bori Colony, Andheri East, on Thursday morning. The exact cause of the fire, which started around 2am on the 3rd floor of the ground-plus-four-storey building called Maimoon Manzil, is still not known.
A post-mortem done at RN Cooper Hospital, Vile Parle, revealed Abbas’ wife Tasneem, 42, son Moiz, 10, and his father, Dawood, 80, suffered 95-100% burns. His 14-year-old daughter, Sakina, 14, suffered 100% burns, the report said.
Deputy municipal commissioner of police Navinchandra Reddy said they were awaiting a fire report, however, preliminary investigation suggests the blaze started in the children’s bedroom which had an air-conditioner (AC). “We have registered a case of accidental death for now,” he said. Residents of the building told HT Moiz first alerted Abbas about the fire.
Locals complained the fire brigade reached the spot almost an hour after they were called.
Chief fire officer PS Rahangdale said, “There were two fire calls at the same time due to which fire engines from Andheri and Bandra fire station had to be called. The area was difficult to access as the gate to Bori Colony was locked ...” While the residents of the 1st and 2nd floor were unaffected, a family of 5 said they were stuck in their house on the 4th floor until the fire brigade arrived. They were admitted to Holy Spirit Hospital after they complained of breathing issues.