Mumbai: Blaze in Santacruz building kills one

Flames and smoke can be seen in Joshi’s flat (right) Nitesh Joshi, the deceased

An elderly man died after a fire broke out in his flat on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Fire brigade officials, who rescued his wife, said the entire flat was full of smoke. The blaze, which was confined to the top-floor flat of the six-storey Haripreet apartments, was likely caused by a short circuit.

Officials said Ambika Joshi, 65, is out of danger. The couple's two-bedroom flat is on the sixth floor of the building, they added. The fire broke out in Haripreet apartments on Tagore road, opposite Poddar school, in Santacruz West at 3.45 pm. Mumbai Fire Brigade sent out four vehicles along with an ambulance.

"The fire broke out in one bedroom and the couple was in the other. They couldn't move out of the flat. The fire didn't spread to other flats," said Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer, Mumbai Fire Brigade.

"Firemen found the man in an unconscious state. He was sent to the hospital, while the woman was lifted to the ground floor. She was conscious and refused to go to the hospital," said another fire officer.
Nitesh Joshi, 65, was declared dead by the doctors of Cooper hospital.

"There weren't any injuries on the body of Nitesh, which means he might have died due to smoke inhalation, as the whole flat was full of smoke. If they would have closed the door of their bedroom, there was a chance of his survival," said another fire officer.

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Alka Kerkar, a former local corporator who visited the area, said that all the residents of the 14 in the building have moved elsewhere, as the electricity has been disconnected.

Kerkar, quoting fire officers, said that when the fire broke out, all residents of the building ran out to safety. Ambika later told the fire officers that they also tried to get out of the bedroom, but Nitesh fell down and lost consciousness, Kerkar added.

They couldn't reach the main door and by that time, the smoke had filled up the flat. Nitesh was a professor and one of his students used to take care of them, she said, adding that at the time of the incident, the couple was alone.