As many as 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, including the Ariel Ladder platform (ALP), breathing apparatus and risers for the rescue operation. After fire-fighting for more than three and half hours, the fire was finally brought under control.
In a tragic incident, seven people died due to suffocation after being trapped in an elevator of a high-rise residential building in the plush Powai area of Mumbai late on Saturday night. All the seven deceased were trying to escape after fire broke out in a flat on the 14th floor of the Lake Homes Housing Society situated on the Powai Farm road near Gopal Sharma School.
As the fire spread, 25 people, including one fire officer, were injured and complained of breathing problems while attempting to escape the fire and were rushed to the nearby Hiranandani Hospital for medical treatment, while, one person who had sustained severe burn injuries was rushed to the National Burns Centre in Airoli.
This is the second major fire incident in Mumbai within a span of one month. On May 9, four firemen died while fire-fighting in a building in Kalbadevi.
According to the fire brigade, the Powai fire broke out around 6.30 pm, and the cause of fire was yet to be ascertained, however, prima facie a short circuit in the AC unit of the flat is believed to be the cause of the fire.
According to the fire brigade officials, the deceased in the moment of panic reportedly forgot the most basic rule in the event of a fire of not using the elevator. “The moment the deceased got into the elevator, it stopped half way because the electricity was shut down due to fire. The deceased got trapped inside the elevator without any possible chance of escape. “The smoke from the fire, passed through elevator shaft, suffocating the stranded residents,” said Pratap Rahangdale, Deputy Fire Officer of Mumbai Fire Brigade.
Rahangdale further said, “all the deceased were found in the elevator lift of the 21 storied building. Because of panic and the emergency situation people forget that they are not supposed to use the elevator when there is a fire emergency. Because it is a standard protocol that all among the first things that is done in case of fire is that the electricity is cut-off and this results in the elevator being shut down wherever it is. Unfortunately, the same happened in this case, all seven deceased, when rescued, were already very critical due to suffocation and breathing the dust caused due to fire."
According to the residents of the building, three of the seven who died, belonged to the same family, while one is believed to be an electrician and other is a driver. However, identity of two others was yet to be established.
As many as 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, including the Ariel Ladder platform (ALP), breathing apparatus and risers for the rescue operation. After fire-fighting for more than three and half hours, the fire was finally brought under control.
Out of the 28 injured, 16 are male and 12 are female, were admitted to the LH Hiranandani hospital for treatment. “The injured have suffered burn and suffocation injuries. The hospital is trying to do it's best to treat them and salvage their condition,” said Dr Sujit Chatterjee, CEO, LH Hiranandani Hospital.
The identity of the seven deceased was not available.
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