Mumbai: Another fire in Currey Road high-rise

Thick black smoke billows out of the flat at One Avighna Park, on Thursday. Pic/Shadab Khan

A fire broke out at One Avighna Park near Currey Road station on Thursday, the second such incident in the plush skyscraper in the past 14 months. It took about three hours for the fire brigade to douse the blaze that engulfed a flat in the B wing. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, said officials. In last year's fire at the 61-storey structure, a security guard had lost his life.

V N Sangale, assistant divisional fire officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade told mid-day, "The fire was reported in flat no. 2202 at 10.45 am. It was locked as the woman living there went outside around 10 am. Using the building's internal firefighting system and the fire brigade's apparatus, the fire was doused."

Sangale said the firefighters broke open the door but encountered thick black smoke. "Thick smoke is the worst obstacle to dousing a fire," he said. The official said 60-70 people were moved to a refuge floor in another wing. The fire affected a small part of flat number 2302 on the 23rd floor.

The fire at One Avighna Park, Currey Road, started around 10.45 am and was extinguished by 1.50 pm, said officials. Pic/Shadab Khan

Residences of the 23rd and 24th floors were taken to the upper floors using a fire brigade ladder. We also rescued residences of 25 to 27 floors including 5-6 senior citizens," said Sangale. "The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained." Ten fire engines and a 90-metre ladder were pressed to fight the blaze.

The fire brigade said that firemen Ramdas Shivram Sanas, 37, and Mahesh Patil, 26, suffered minor injuries during the firefighting. They were treated and discharged. One Avighna Park resident Kanubhai Rawal said the fire broke out after 10.30 am. "The internal firefighting system is working properly. All residents are safe."

Also Read: In Photos: Fire breaks out at One Avighna Park in Currey Road

Anant Nakashe, whose shop is just opposite the building's main gate, told mid-day, "I saw a big flame in the building. After some time thick smoke started billowing. In a short time, the fire brigade reached the spot." Another eyewitness, Ravindra Kubal, said, "I saw a big blaze and heard screams. I think the residents were trying to run out of the building."

On October 22, 2021, a fire had broken out in a 19th-floor flat of the B wing. A security guard who went around alerting the residents to move to safety got stuck and fell to his death. The fire brigade had said that the building's firefighting system was not working at the time. It had also issued a notice to the building.

Deputy Police Commissioner Dr Pravin Munde said, "The fire was going towards the 23rd floor but MFB [Mumbai Fire Brigade] brought it under control. We will wait for the fire brigade report after which we will decide about registering the offence.

Ex-mayor Kishori Pednekar sought to know if the building's private security guards are capable of tackling a fire in the initial stage. "It needs to be investigated whether the security persons of the building are trained in firefighting," she said.

‘Woman affected by smoke'

A 26-year-old woman visited Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, complaining of smoke inhalation, said the medical facility in the evening. "The Patient was treated and stabilised in the emergency department, by afternoon her vitals were normal and she was discharged from the hospital,"said Dr Virendra Chauhan, centre head, of the hospital.

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No of fire engines that were pressed to control the blaze