Fire breaks out near bridge repair site in Thane; no injuries

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A fire broke out at a makeshift shed housing labourers near a bridge repair site in Thane on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, civic officials said, reported news agency PTI.

At least 25 construction workers were fast asleep at the spot when the fire started. All of them moved out safely, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation, reported PTI.

The shed had been set up by the contractor carrying out the repairs of the Saket bridge in Thane West and was being used to house labourers and store materials like thinner and polymer chemicals, he said.

After being alerted about the incident, which started a few minutes past midnight, firefighters and civic rescuers rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire in an hour. The exact cause of the fire at the bridge repair site in Thane is yet to be determined, he added, reported PTI.

In another incident, holi revelry ended in tragedy for a group of five teenage boys when one of them drowned in the sea at Mahim on Monday while his friend is missing, officials said, reported PTI.

Rescuers managed to save three others.

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when five youths went for a swim in the sea after playing Holi, between Mahim and Shivaji Park coast, an official said, reported PTI.

"Some of them entered the deep water but started drowning, seeing which their friends rushed to help. However, they also started struggling to stay afloat," he said, reported PTI.

Lifeguards deployed at the chowpatty near Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and Fire Brigade personnel pulled four youths out of the sea, he said, adding that a youth remained missing.

"The rescued persons were rushed to Hinduja Hospital where Harsh Kinjale (19) was declared dead during treatment. Two others are unharmed while their friend (17) is stable," he said, reported PTI.

The search and rescue operation was stopped in the late evening due to dark, he added.

(With inputs from PTI)