Fire at Mumbai building kills one, injures another

Fire Brigade rescues 13 others from the residential building

The fire broke out at the Churchill Chambers, a four storey building sometime around noon.

One person died and another was injured while 13 others had to be rescued when a fire broke out in Colaba’s Churchill Chambers on Sunday morning. The deceased had gone to the innermost room of an apartment to protect himself from the fire. One of his neighbours inhaled a lot of smoke and had to be moved to an Intensive Care Unit. The Fire Brigade rescued 13 others using ladders and other methods.

The incident occurred around noon on Sunday at Colaba’s Churchill Chambers, a ground-plus-three-storey residential building located behind Taj Mahal Hotel. The building is largely a wooden structure with reinforcements.

The fire broke out in one of the apartments on the third floor but its source could not be exactly ascertained. It was confined to the third floor flat and the staircase leading to the second floor. The Fire Brigade, which categorised the fire as Level II (minor), sent four fire engines and four tankers to the spot.

Smoke and heat

The smoke and heat made it difficult for most residents to run out. Residents were trapped on the third floor, and some of them took refuge on the terrace. Five people were rescued and administered first aid on the spot. It took the firemen four hours to douse the fire.

“We will have to inspect whether the building had any irregularities,” said Nitin Arte, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of A Ward.