Three people died in a fire that broke out in a commercial building near MTNL junction in Goregaon on Sunday afternoon.
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Five people trapped inside the building were rescued. Cooling operations were under way at the time of going to press.
One of the deceased has been identified as Naimuddin Shah (25). The two others, Ramavtar (45) and Ram Tirathpal (45), were found unconscious inside a lift stuck between the fourth and fifth floors. All three were taken to Siddharth Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival.
One of the five people rescued, Wasim (last name not known), was treated and discharged.
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Eight fire brigade officials also had to be treated for smoke inhalation. While six officials were discharged, assistant station officer Shivaji Mandade (32) and fireman Shriram Narhare (35) have been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Siddharth Hospital.
The fire broke out inside an electrical duct on the seventh floor of the 12-storey Techniplus building around 4 p.m. The fire brigade was alerted around 4.24 pm. Initially, four fire engines and two water tankers were sent to the spot as it was a Level II blaze. It was declared a Level III fire around 5 p.m., following which eight fire engines, six tankers and senior fire brigade officials reached the spot.
Heavy smoke between the second and eighth floor hampered operations. Fire officials used three small hoses to douse the flames and had to wear breathing apparatus. The five people were rescued using turntable ladders and a hydraulic platform, according to a statement by Chief Fire Officer P.S. Rahangdale.
The BMC will inspect the building on Monday. Assistant Municipal Commissioner, P South ward, Chanda Jadhav said, “We will have to check our records and carry out an inspection to see if there were any irregularities. We are awaiting a report from the fire brigade.”