The two women were found dead on the first floor passage; two more rescued following suffocation; as per officials from the fire brigade, the fire, which broke out at 6.11 am, originated in the building’s common meter box on the ground floor and from there, the fire and thick smoke engulfed the upper floors
Fire brigade team at the incident spot in Masjid Bandar’s Issaji Street on Sunday
Two women were killed, while five others were injured in a fire that broke out on Sunday morning at the 11-storey Pann Ali Mansion in Masjid Bunder’s Issaji Street. As per officials from the fire brigade, the fire, which broke out at 6.11 am, originated in the building’s common meter box on the ground floor and from there, the fire and thick smoke engulfed the upper floors. The deceased women have been identified as Sajiya Alam Shaikh, 20, and Sabila Khatun Shaikh, 42.
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According to the officials, the women were found in the passage of the first floor, where they suffered severe burn injuries and suffocation due to smoke inhalation.
Fire brigade, BEST officials carry out rescue operation
As soon as the fire was reported, the fire department dispatched personnel to the scene who conducted rescue operations. During the rescue, it was observed that both deceased women had sustained burn injuries on their hands and legs while also experiencing breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation. They were rushed to the civic-run JJ Hospital in a mobile police van but were declared ‘brought dead’ upon arrival.
Among the injured are Shahin Alam Shaikh, 22, Adil Raja Shaikh, 24, Nakis Surti, 24, and Sauda Alam Shaikh, 48, and Karim Shaikh, 20.
While four of the five injured were admitted to the JJ Hospital, Karim was taken to GT Hospital. Their conditions are said to be stable.
Sajiya, Sabila, Shahin, Adil and Sauda are the members of the same family, said officials.
Rescue operation
Fire brigade officials said thick smoke quickly spread through the building, leading to severe suffocation among the residents on multiple floors. Firefighters, police personnel, and BEST staff rushed to the scene on Issaji Street to combat the blaze and assist residents. The fire was successfully extinguished within 20 minutes, said officials.
Investigation underway
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire. Officials are also assessing whether proper fire safety measures were in place.
Speaking to mid-day, Chief Fire Officer RN Ambulgekar said, “Our personnel acted swiftly to extinguish the fire and rescue residents. However, as soon as the smoke spread, people began rushing out of their homes. Unfortunately, before further action could be taken, the thick smoke had already caused significant harm. Meter rooms and common meter boxes are not permitted under staircases, but in this case, their location allowed the smoke and fire to spread rapidly to the upper floors.
Additionally, the building lacked fire safety measures. As for other possible irregularities or violations, the investigation is still underway.”
Despite repeated attempts, Assistant Municipal Commissioner (B ward) Shankar Bhosale, and Dr Pallavi Saple, dean of JJ Group of Hospitals, remained unavailable for comment.
Five
No of people injured in fire
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