Woman dies in Dharavi fire, taxi burns down in Dadar

A woman died after a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in a garment factory in Dharavi. Usha Londhe, 62, was trapped in the bathroom of the two-storeyed structure at 90 feet road near the Ashok Mill compound.

Four fire engines, three jumbo tankers and two bikes were rushed to the spot to start the rescue operation. However, firemen faced hurdles due to narrow lanes and jammed roads. The conflagration was a result of electric wiring, machinery and clothes. It took firemen three to four hours to douse the blaze.

Chief Fire Brigade Officer Sanjay Manjrekar said, “Earlier, the fire was confined to electric installations but later spread because of textile material. It was doused around 3pm in the afternoon.”

Ms Londhe was first rescued from the ground floor bathroom and rushed to Sion Hospital in a police van but was declared dead by the doctors. According to eyewitnesses, the smoke spread in the entire area after the fire erupted. Officials said it was a Level 1 fire, which is normally treated as minor. The reason has not yet been ascertained but primary investigation has been initiated.

In another incident, a fire engulfed a CNG taxi near the Shiv Sena Bhavan at Dadar. Security staff of Kohinoor Square building and the police doused the fire with the help of fire extinguishing equipment in the building.

The police rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd, directing shop owners to shut their premises to avoid any loss. The police also halted the traffic on the other side of the road to avoid any mishap.