Mumbai : Though the massive blaze in a high-rise near Powai was caused due to a blast in the air conditioner, it was spread mainly because of faulty electric supply wires lying here and there.
The major inferno on Saturday left seven people dead and injured 18 others. Most of the dead were found in the lift where they had apparently suffocated to death.
Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation has indicated that the fire in the Lake Lucerne building spread fast as it fed on the electric cables lying here. Most importantly, the duct of the electric cables was not sealed properly due to which the smoke spread in the building. This is one of the main reasons for the carbon monoxide harming the residents on upper floors of the high rise.
Had the duct been sealed properly, the fatal smoke would have blown out of the building.
The fire at Lotus Park, Andheri was also spread due to faulty electric supply cables lying in the close vicinity.
Fire Brigade deployed 15 vehicles and ambulances to put out the inferno and rescue the trapped residents.
“The flames spread very quickly to the 15th floor due to the kind of wooden furniture and foam used in homes. Inferior quality stuff act like highly combustible materials. Strong winds only ended up fanning the fire,” said Chief Fire Officer PS Rahangdale.
He said small steps like ensuring that building ducts are sealed on each floor and fire sprinklers properly installed could go a long way in preventing such tragedies and loss of precious lives.
The fire brigade also had to face a lot of problems while conducting fire-fighting operations due to haphazard parking near the building.
