Senior citizen killed in Sobo high-rise fire

MUMBAI : A senior citizen was killed, and two people are in a critical condition after a fire broke out in an 18-storey residential building in Mahalaxmi early on Sunday. Seventy-five residents were injured, of which 19 are still in hospital.

The fire broke out at 2.52am on the first floor of the Samrat Ashok cooperative housing society in Mahalaxmi on Sunday. The fire started in the building’s meter room and was mainly confined to the first floor, but smoke engulfed all 18 floors, making it difficult for firefighters to rescue residents trapped on the higher floors, fire brigade officials said.

“Even though the fire only affected the first floor, the smoke engulfed all 18 floors. This got in the way of rescue operations and fire fighting,” chief fire officer PS Rahangdale said. The injured were taken to the nearby Bhatia hospital and Nair hospital. Officials said Laxmi Koli, 82, was declared dead on arrival. Two others had inhalation burns and carbon monoxide poisoning.

As with other high-rise fires in the city this year, the Samrat Ashok building had violated several fire safety rules. The fire- fighting equipment was not in working condition, and the electricity meter room was not a covered space. Fire brigade officials said they issued a notice to the housing society under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Act (2006). In November, state urban development minister Ranjit Patil said there had been 50,000 fires in Mumbai over the past decade, and 69% of these were triggered by defective electric circuits or short circuits.

CONTINUED ON P 8 ››RELATED REPORTS, P3

AS WITH OTHER HIGH-RISE FIRES THIS YEAR, SAMRAT ASHOK SOCIETY HAD VIOLATED SEVERAL FIRE SAFETY RULES, OFFICIALS SAID