Mumbai’s towering inferno kills 6

Mumbai: At least six people were killed and 23 others injured in a major fire that broke out on the 19th floor of a residential building in Tardeo area of central Mumbai on Saturday morning, officials said.

The blaze erupted around 7 am at Sachinam Heights, a ground-plus-20-storey building located opposite Bhatia Hospital at Gowalia Tank when many of the residents were still asleep, an official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Some residents said they heard a loud sound followed by black smoke, and recalled the frenzy to get out. A 50-year-old woman who lives on the fifth floor said, “I heard some noise like firecrackers and realised that something was wrong. As we were all scared, I fell down twice while helping my husband to climb down the staircase... I don’t recall how I reached the open area.”

Another resident of the building said the power went off and there was a melee of those trying to get out during which many senior citizens were injured. A woman on the fourth floor said there was a sound outside a cabin (which presumably housed the AC compressor).

A resident of the neighbouring Matrumandir building attributed the blaze to an AC compressor explosion. Many of the rescued persons were shifted to Mathrumandir and provided first aid and snacks.

Some residents of the building alleged that three nearby private hospitals refused to admit injured persons without advance deposit payment and negative Covid-19 certificates.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and announced on Twitter that ex-gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to the family members of each deceased.

Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray visited the site and said the state government will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family members of each deceased.