Around six people suffered minor suffocation on Saturday after a fire broke out at the top floor of a ground plus 12-storey residential building in Tilak Nagar, Chembur East. The blaze erupted at around 2.45 pm when people started noticing smoke in the building. “The fire was doused within 15 minutes. The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), police, ambulance and ward staff were mobilised at the spot immediately,” said the fire control department.
Chief Fire Officer Hemant Parab said, “Fortunately, there were no casualties and just minor suffocation cases. Also, there was a lot of smoke in the fire duct, we suspect that it occurred due to a cigarette bud thrown into a lot of unwanted items dumped by the society members. The smoke then spread all over the building, especially on the terrace because it had a lot of openings. The fumes eventually got converted into fire because of the wind. By that time, the smoke had engulfed the whole building, including passages, hence the people could not come out of their flats.”
The good thing is that the citizens remained inside their house and didn't attempt to come out in the passage which could result in suffocation. Instead they all went towards the periphery of their flats like gallery and parapet which helped them get breathable air. “When the firemen reached the site, one team focused on dousing the fire and the other went to rescue those who were stranded,” he said.
Dr Sen from Chembur's SRV hospital said that a total six people suffered suffocation. They are undergoing treatment at the hospital and are in stable condition, it was added.
According to the MFB, the entire staircase right up to the terrace was logged in smoke and the heat intensity was much higher on the 11th and 12th floor. “A total of four people were stranded on the parapet of the second floor. In total, 33 people were safely rescued from various places such as parapet walls, rooms, terrace and staircase,” said a fire official.
