'Good fire-fighting system helped douse Andheri fire quickly'

Fire at Peninsula Park commercial building in Andheri West broke out around 12:50 pm on Monday. Pic /Sameer Markande

Several people at a business centre in Andheri West had a close shave after a fire broke out on the sixth floor of the 22-storey building on Monday. No one was injured in the incident, but some complained of panic attacks. While a few received treatment in the ambulance, others were sent to a nearby private hospital.

The fire broke out in the electric duct between sixth and 12th floor of Peninsula Park located off Veera Desai Road in Andheri West. The incident was reported around 12.50 pm. The Mumbai Fire Brigade rushed four fire engines, three jumbo tankers, two turntable ladders and one ambulance to the scene.

The fire brigade reached the spot around 1.10 pm but were slowed down by the narrow roads. The firefighters had to remove several vehicles parked on the narrow road to make way for their vehicles. The fire brigade had to climb on to the under-construction building behind Peninsula Park to douse the fire.

Those on the fifth floor of the building later told mid-day that they weren't aware about the fire until 1 pm because the fire alarms didn't go off when the blaze started. They started evacuating when they saw shards of glass falling off from the upper floors.

"We work on the fifth floor. There wasn't any fire alarm. Around 1 pm we saw glasses of the facade come crashing down. We then alerted others and started coming down," said Sanil Kokate, one of the employees.

The fire brigade, however, found the fire fighting system of the building to be in working condition. "The water pipelines were in working condition and due to good ventilation, there wasn't much smoke inside," said a senior fire official.

Chief Fire Officer Prabhat Rahangdale also said that the fire fighting system of the building helped extinguish the blaze in short time.

"Firemen rescued four people, who were trapped inside the building and were trying to escape through the staircase. Another 60 stranded on the terrace were also brought to safety," said another fireman.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates