Two persons were killed, while 11 others were rescued after a massive fire broke out in a prominent 25-storey building “Maker Towers” at Cuffe Parade in south Mumbai on Tuesday morning.
Two male servants, who were inside the servants’ quarters located near the internal stairs of the building when fire engulfed the 20th and 21st floors of the building, died due to burns and suffocation.
The two servants, Vir Kundan (22) and Ajay Ram (30), were pronounced dead at the State-run St George Hospital, where they had been rushed.
Bajaj Electricals’ chairman and managing director Shekhar Bajaj, whose one of the two flats that were gutted in the fire, and his family members managed to escape unhurt. Bajaj’s family members were among the persons who rescued by the Fire Brigade personnel.
Bajaj and his family members live in an eight-room duplex flat on the 20th floor of the Sea-facing “Maker Towers” which is a landmark building at downtown Cuffe Parade.
The fire was noticed first in flat number 201 on the 2oth floor of in the “A” Wing of the building, at around 6.37 am. Before long, the fire had spread to the flat 211 on the 21st floor.
Mumbai Fire Brigade personnel — who rushed to the scene along with eight fire tenders, six jumbo tankers, one aerial ladder platform, one high pressure van, a one breathing apparatus van and an ambulance — battled with fire for nearly two hours, before they brought the blaze under control at around 8.30 am.
“Fire fighters rescued 11 residents who were trapped in fire-hit flats. Two persons who sustained severe burn wounds were declared dead at the St George’s Hospital, before admission,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-1) Manojkumar Sharma said.
Among those rescued were seven members of Bajaj’s family and four members living in another flat. The rescued family members of Bajaj’s family included one year-old male child.
Mumbai Municipal Com-missioner Ajoy Mehta visited the spot and took stock of the situation. "We do not know whether it was a short circuit...it could be, we will know after an investigation," Shekhar Bajaj said.
“We are investigating the cause of the fire,” Chief Fire Officer of the Mumbai Brigade PS Rahangdale said. Household articles, electric fittings furniture and false ceiling on the 20th and 21st floors involving an area of 3,000 sq feet on each floor were gutted in the fire.