Fire at Mumbai's Mhada building, 7 taken to hospital due to suffocation

Mumbai: A fire broke out in a Mhada building in Kanjurmarg (E) around 9.30am on Sunday. Seven people suffered suffocation and were rushed to hospital. Their condition is stable, said the fire brigade.
The fire broke out in the meter cabin and electric duct on the ground floor of the ground-plus-14 storey residential building. It was doused within half an hour. The fire was confined to the electric wiring, electric installation in a common electric meter cabin on the ground floor and the electric duct of the building.
Though fire brigade teams including station officers and ADFO Pritam Mundhe rushed to the spot, they were delayed by traffic. "We managed to control the fire within seven to eight minutes once we reached the spot. We got about 60-70 residents out of their flats and brought them down. Many residents had shut themselves in their flats, as smoke had spread to the lobbies of the floors. We had to knock on each door and get the residents out from the first floor up to the fifth floor. The residents, who were complaining of suffocation, were immediately sent to Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital at Vikhroli," said a fire brigade official.
"The fire spread through the electrical duct up the higher floors and damaged the electric cables badly on the first few floors. Electricity supply to the building had to be shut, as the cables were damaged," a fire brigade official added.
The seven injured, including three senior citizens, and a 14-year old, who were rushed to hospital. An official said that barring one patient, all six were transferred to Sion hospital. "All the injured persons are stable," said the official.