400 residents escape fire in Dadar building
Suspected short circuit in meter box sparked fire; four-storey building didn’t have any safety equipment.
Around 400 people had a narrow escape early on Friday after a fire broke out in their four-storey building in Dadar. An elderly couple is currently battling for life, but the tragedy could have been much worse had the fire brigade not reacted quickly.
Firefighters rescued over 60 people, mostly children and senior citizens, who were trapped on the third floor of Amar Umar just as the smoke began to fill the area. Even a few minutes’ delay could have proved fatal for the residents.
The fire brigade received the first call about the fire at 2.56 am, around 25 minutes after a suspected short circuit in a meter box installed at the entrance of the building sparked the blaze. The meter box was located right next to a wooden staircase.
Residents slept as the flames engulfed the building. Occupants of flats on the first floor were the first to raise an alarm. “At first, it seemed like someone was setting off firecrackers. But the sound kept getting louder and louder. That’s when we realised something was wrong,” resident Sujata Bhonsale. “We wasted no time and started alerting other people on our floor.”
The main entrance was blocked by flames and soon the lights went out. “There was smoke everywhere. I picked up my nephew, who is only one year old, and ran to back of the building,” said Shobha Sharma, who was woken up by Bhonsale.
“Climbing on top of a tin shed and entering the neighbouring building was our only option. It was too dangerous, but there was nothing else we could do.”
Firefighters found it difficult to access the building as the lane leading to it was narrow and a tempo was parked there. Sixteen fire engines were pressed into service and over 100 firefighters, including senior officers, evacuated residents and battled the flames. Three Angus ladders, a turntable ladder and an aerial ladder platform were used in the operation.
“The fire originated on the ground floor, and was steadily spreading upwards because of a strong breeze,” said chief fire officer PS Rahangdale.
More than 60 people were huddled in the third floor of Bhavin Shah. “There was burning sensation in our eyes and it was getting difficult to breathe. Soon, firemen began rescuing everyone with the help of ladders. We could have died had there been a delay of 10 minutes,” Shah said, adding that before the rescuers arrived, residents had fashioned ropes from saris and were planning to climb down.
A 14-year-old girl rescued by firefighters stopped climbing the ladder midway out of fear. The fire chief then went up and brought her down. A bedridden woman, who had recently undergone a knee surgery, was rescued from the fourth floor. “The fire brigade did a wonderful job. If you look at the state of our building now, it’s a miracle that nobody died,” said Kalpana Thorat.
Sheila Mohite (69) and her husband Sunil (70) were found unconscious in their one-room-kitchen flat. They are currently on ventilator support at KEM Hospital. “Nobody bothered to take them out first. May be because the fire broke out just below their flat, no one dared to go there. My parents were found unconscious by the firemen,” said the couple’s daughter, Rupa.
The blaze was doused around 7 am. Many residents stood on the footpath, some with suitcases, wondering where to go. “Our relatives will have us for a week. But what will do we do after that?” Sharma said.
Rahangdale said the building didn’t have a single fire extinguisher, forget a full-fledged system. “We will take action against the owner,” he said.
Around 400 people had a narrow escape early on Friday after a fire broke out in their four-storey building in Dadar. An elderly couple is currently battling for life, but the tragedy could have been much worse had the fire brigade not reacted quickly.
Firefighters rescued over 60 people, mostly children and senior citizens, who were trapped on the third floor of Amar Umar just as the smoke began to fill the area. Even a few minutes’ delay could have proved fatal for the residents.
The 100-year-old Amar Umar, located on Senapati Bapat Marg, has 72 flats, 17 shops and a restaurant, but not a single fire extinguisher. Officials said that they would book the owner for failing to install basic firesafety equipment.
The fire brigade received the first call about the fire at 2.56 am, around 25 minutes after a suspected short circuit in a meter box installed at the entrance of the building sparked the blaze. The meter box was located right next to a wooden staircase.
Residents slept as the flames engulfed the building. Occupants of flats on the first floor were the first to raise an alarm. “At first, it seemed like someone was setting off firecrackers. But the sound kept getting louder and louder. That’s when we realised something was wrong,” resident Sujata Bhonsale. “We wasted no time and started alerting other people on our floor.”
The main entrance was blocked by flames and soon the lights went out. “There was smoke everywhere. I picked up my nephew, who is only one year old, and ran to back of the building,” said Shobha Sharma, who was woken up by Bhonsale.
“Climbing on top of a tin shed and entering the neighbouring building was our only option. It was too dangerous, but there was nothing else we could do.”
Firefighters found it difficult to access the building as the lane leading to it was narrow and a tempo was parked there. Sixteen fire engines were pressed into service and over 100 firefighters, including senior officers, evacuated residents and battled the flames. Three Angus ladders, a turntable ladder and an aerial ladder platform were used in the operation.
“The fire originated on the ground floor, and was steadily spreading upwards because of a strong breeze,” said chief fire officer PS Rahangdale.
More than 60 people were huddled in the third floor of Bhavin Shah. “There was burning sensation in our eyes and it was getting difficult to breathe. Soon, firemen began rescuing everyone with the help of ladders. We could have died had there been a delay of 10 minutes,” Shah said, adding that before the rescuers arrived, residents had fashioned ropes from saris and were planning to climb down.
A 14-year-old girl rescued by firefighters stopped climbing the ladder midway out of fear. The fire chief then went up and brought her down. A bedridden woman, who had recently undergone a knee surgery, was rescued from the fourth floor. “The fire brigade did a wonderful job. If you look at the state of our building now, it’s a miracle that nobody died,” said Kalpana Thorat.
Sheila Mohite (69) and her husband Sunil (70) were found unconscious in their one-room-kitchen flat. They are currently on ventilator support at KEM Hospital. “Nobody bothered to take them out first. May be because the fire broke out just below their flat, no one dared to go there. My parents were found unconscious by the firemen,” said the couple’s daughter, Rupa.
The blaze was doused around 7 am. Many residents stood on the footpath, some with suitcases, wondering where to go. “Our relatives will have us for a week. But what will do we do after that?” Sharma said.
Rahangdale said the building didn’t have a single fire extinguisher, forget a full-fledged system. “We will take action against the owner,” he said.
