A fire broke out in the Cuffe Parade residence of Shekhar Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Electricals, resulting in the death of two of his servants early on Tuesday. Prima facie, a short circuit in the centralised air cooling system of the building seems to have caused the fire.
According to fire brigade sources, the fire on the 20th floor of A Wing of the Maker Towers was reported to them at around 6:31 a.m. Eight fire tenders and six water tankers from Colaba fire station reached the building at around 6:45 a.m., by which time the blaze had spread to the 21st floor. Fire officials rescued seven people, including Mr. Bajaj and his family members, and took them to Breach Candy Hospital. Seven others were rescued on the 21st floor.
“After the fire was doused, two bodies were found on the 20th floor. The position of the bodies indicates that the victims were trying to escape, but suffocated because of the dense smoke,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma, Zone I.
The deceased have been identified as Ajay and Kundan, and both were working as domestic helps for Mr. Bajaj. They used to stay in separate servants quarters on the same floor, which was also gutted. The interiors of the flats on the 20th floor were destroyed, while flats on the 21st floor were damaged.
Fire officials are now conducting an investigation to find the cause of the fire. The fire brigade will be submitting a report to the Cuffe Parade police, which will cover fire safety measures in the building and whether there was any negligence on part of the building’s residents.
“Prima facie, we have not found any signs of negligence with respect to fire safety measures. Accidental death reports have been prepared,” Mr. Sharma said.
The writer is an intern at The Hindu
