Five dead, several injured as fire breaks out in residential highrise in Mumbai's Chembur; rescue ops underway

Five people, including four women, were killed while several others including a fireman were injured after a major fire broke out in a 16-storey residential building in Chembur on Thursday evening. The building is located in suburban Tilak Nagar, where a search and rescue operation by the Mumbai Fire Brigade is underway, an official from the Disaster Management Unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) told PTI.

Maharashtra: Visuals of rescue operation from Sargam Society in Chembur, Mumbai where a fire broke out today. Firefighting operation still underway. pic.twitter.com/A5aWTVAgVA

— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2018

“Our fire brigade control room got information about the incident at 7.51 pm after which our fire-fighting team along with an ambulance rushed to the spot,” he added. The fire reportedly broke out on the 14th floor of the building. According to a  Times of India report, the medical superintendent of Rajawadi Hospital Dr Vidya Thakur said that among the deceased, two had burn injuries and the remaining three seemed to have died due to smoke inhalation. The deceased have been identified as Sunita Joshi (72), Bhalchandra Joshi (72), Suman Shrinivas Joshi (83), Sarala Suresh Gangar (52) and Lakshmiben Premji Gangar (83), the report said. The fire has been brought under control, but its cause will be known only after an inquiry, officials said.