90 RESCUED FROM HIGHRISE BLAZE IN MUMBAI
MUMBAI: Two firemen were injured fighting massive fire that charred the top three floors of a high-rise in Prabhadevi , and took more than four hours to put out, Wednesday. Ninety-five people were evacuated from the swanky 33-storey BeauMonde Towers, where actor Deepika Padukone also owns an apartment.
No other injuries were reported, with residents saying alarms went off within minutes of the fire breaking out at 2.10pm. Fire brigade officials said the fire broke out on the 32nd floor of the building’s B wing, and spread one floor above and below over the next two hours. The civic disaster management cell said the fire started from a vacant flat, owned by one Harish Wabhiyani.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 6.30pm, but cooling operations were underway until late evening. An investigation to find the cause will begin soon, officials said. Firemen Harishchandra Raorane, 54, and Shivaji Achrekar, 53, were admitted to a hospital for suffocation. Their condition is stable now.
The fire brigade deployed 12 fire engines, eight water tankers and two turntable ladders; there were 60 fire officials at the spot, but it took hours to put the fire out as winds kept reigniting flames, officials said. Moreover, the water pipes could not reach the highest floors, blocked by the building’s structures at the base.
Deputy chief fire officer R Chaudhari said the fire brigade was yet to confirm if the building had clearances. “However, the in-built firefighting system was functioning.” The riser system, a firefighting equipment connected to hose pipes, helped the fire brigade douse the flames. The riser system had a capacity to hold one lakh litres of water.
Other factors that slowed down work was the building’s fire lift, which stopped working when water from the sprinklers seeped into it. The 20 firemen on the top three floors had to climb 33 floors.
A resident said, “The building had an advanced firefighting system, with separate electric connections to run the equipment. We also have turbo pumps for the riser system, so water can quickly be dispensed to the top floors. All this helped.” Another said, “The fire alarm went off as soon as the fire started. That is how all residents were alerted.”
Deepika Padukone later took to Twitter to say she was safe. “Thankyou every one. Let us pray for our fire-fighters who are at site risking their lives.”