Firefighters carry a victim on a stretcher after a fire at a residential building in Mumbai, India. — Reuters photo
NEW DELHI: At least five people were killed and few others injured after a fire broke out inside a high-rise building in India’s financial capital city of Mumbai, officials said yesterday.
China’s Xinhua News Agency reported the fire broke out late on Thursday evening at a 15-storey building of Sargam Society near Ganesh Garden at Tilak Nagar in Mumbai.
“Fire started from the eleventh floor and then involved all the four floors above it. A blast of LPG cylinder was also heard, which increased the intensity of the fire,” a fire service official said.
According to officials, five elderly officials were killed in the devastating fire.
“Among the deceased, two were burnt and three others seemed to have succumbed because of smoke inhalation,” Medical superintendent of Rajawadi hospital Dr Vidya Thakur said.
Reports said the fire extinguishing equipment inside the building was non-functional.
Although the authorities immediately rushed fire tenders to the spot, it took several hours for the firefighters to contain the blaze. The firefighting operations was going on until late at the night.
Officials said they were investigating the cause of fire.
Chances of fire in Indian buildings are usually high as people ignore safety standards. — Bernama
Indian fire fighters work to control a fire on a 14th floor of a residential building in Mumbai. — AFP photo