Five persons were charred to death while at least seven others sustained injuries after a fire broke out on the ground floor of an under-construction building in Juhu Wednesday night. The fire brigade received a call around 10.10 pm and the fire was doused around 10.35 pm. DCP Rashmi Karandikar said the fire broke out due to a gas cylinder burst. As per fire brigade officials, the fire broke out at Prarthna, a ground-plus-13-floor building. “The fire was confined to the ground floor in an area of 50 ft x 100 ft. The scrap material, wooden articles kept on the ground floor caught fire. The fire spread causing burns to five persons who were later rushed to Cooper Hospital in an ambulance,” said a fire brigade official.
The official added that three fire engines and two water tankers were pressed into service soon after the fire broke out. Chief Fire Officer P S Rahanhdale said, “Charred bodies of five persons were sent to the Cooper hospital. At this stage, there is no clarity on what caused the fire and what were the labourers doing when the fire broke out. Investigation is on.”
