Mumbai: 5 oxygen cylinders burst in fire at closed civic school in Parel

The cause of the fire in the Sai Baba Municipal School was not immediately known

A fire occurred on Monday morning at a closed civic school in Parel which was being used to store oxygen cylinders and other materials since the COVID-19 pandemic. Five of the seven oxygen cylinders kept at the school burst due to the fire. The Mumbai Fire Brigade controlled the blaze within 20 minutes of receiving the call. No casualties were reported in the incident.

According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the fire broke out in the Sai Baba Municipal School near Mint Colony monorail station in Parel. The fire was reported to the fire brigade around 9.16 am. The blaze erupted in a room where mattresses and five big and two small oxygen cylinders were kept.

A Level 1 alert was declared at 9.20 am and the fire brigade personnel managed to control the fire by 9.31 am. The fire was primarily confined to the electric wiring, electric installations, a foam mattress, ceiling fans, wooden furniture, metal furniture, scrap materials, table fans, PPE kits, and the five oxygen cylinders on the ground floor of the two-storey structure. "The heat from the fire made the gas in the filled cylinders expand and they burst," said a fire brigade official. It also affected toys, uniforms and shoes kept in an adjacent room. The fire was completely extinguished by 12.05 pm.

The assistant divisional fire officer (ADFO), one senior station officer, three station officers, four fire engines, three jet tenders, one aerial work platform, one water quick response vehicle (WQRV), and one quick response vehicle (QRV) were among the personnel and vehicles on site.

The police, BEST, 108 ambulance service, and local ward workers were called in to ensure a comprehensive emergency response. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

"In ward no. 204, a major fire broke out at Sai Baba Municipal School, causing the oxygen cylinders to burst and bedsheets, and other materials to catch fire. This material was stored in the school during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school was closed after the structure became uninhabitable. Over the past three to four years, the municipal administration has been using the premises for various purposes. Today, the building suffered extensive damage and efforts are underway to construct a new school quickly. A request has been made in this regard. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allocates crores of rupees for beautification, road repair, and lighting, but the same financial priority is not given to building schools. Prompt action by the firefighting team prevented further escalation. We appreciate the personnel for their efforts," said former corporator Anil Kokil.

9.16 am
Time fire brigade was alerted

9.31 am
Time fire was controlled