Fire in residential building kills 2, injures 17 in Mumbai

Fire in residential building kills 2, injures 17 in Mumbai
# 22 January 2022 10:33 (UTC +04:00)

A fire in a 19-story building killed at least two people and injured 17 others on Saturday in Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital, officials said, APA reports citing ABC news.

The fire was caused by a short-circuit in an air conditioner in one of the apartments, Mayor Kishori Pednekar said.

Residents said the fire started on the 15th floor and a big column of black smoke soon enveloped the building. More than 90 people escaped the building on their own or helped by neighbors, they said.

Nearly two dozen fire engines extinguished the blaze and controlled the smoke after a two-hour effort, media reports said. Firefighters rushed the injured to two nearby hospitals.

Pednekar said some of the injured needed oxygen support because they had inhaled the smoke.

Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.

In August, a fire killed eight coronavirus patients at a hospital in Ahmedabad, a major city in Gujarat state. In December 2018, a late-night fire in a Mumbai restaurant killed 15 people.

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED