NAVI MUMBAI: Amid Diwali celebrations, a major fire broke out in a 12-storey upscale society in Vashi a little after Monday midnight, claiming the lives of an 84-year-old bedridden woman and a three member family two floors above.Ten other residents of the top three floors of Raheja Residency in M G Complex, Sector 14, Vashi, were hospitalised for suffocation.
The deceased have been identified as Sundar Balakrishnan (44), wife Pooja Rajan (39) and their daughter Vedika Balakrishnan (6) who resided on the 12th floor and Kamala Jain who lived in a 10th-floor flat with her son and his family.The cause of the fire which broke out in the 10th floor is yet to be ascertained. Shashikant Chandekar, senior inspector of Vashi, said, “Only after the electrical safety department officials submit their report, further course of action will be taken.”Sanjay Ubale, a part-time society manager in the building, said, “Kamala Jain resided with her son Mahavir (51), his spouse Bhawana (49) and son Krish (21) and a daughter. The senior citizen’s son, daughter-in-law and grandson were present in the apartment when the fire broke out. The granddaughter had gone out.
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As the power supply was disconnected following the fire, feeling suffocated, the family might have panicked and escaped to the terrace. However, the senior citizen being bedridden could not be rescued.”
Exact cause of Vashi bldg blaze that left four dead yet to be ascertained
The exact cause of the midnight blaze in a Vashi high rise is yet to be ascertained, police said. Shashikant Chandekar, senior inspector of Vashi, said, “Our police team visited the building to take stock. As of now, the exact cause for the fire is not known, but it is possible it could be due to lamps that the Jain family might have lit for Diwali or a short-circuit in the AC.”Purushottam Jadhav, divisional fire officer at Vashi, said they received the call at Vashi fire station at 12.40am Wednesday. Fire engines from Vashi, Nerul, Koparkhairane and Airoli were rushed to the spot.
Ten residents of the 10th, 11th and 12th floors were taken to the B wing terrace and from there they ran down the adjacent A wing. They were rushed to different hospitals for treatment. All residents on lower floors had already evacuated on their own before the fire brigade arrived. “Electrical safety department officials who visited the building will submit a report to throw light on the cause of the fire,” said Jadhav.Ubale said, “As we have an annual maintenance contract for inspection of fire hydrant system at the building, it was operational and used by the fire brigade for fire-fighting.”
Meanwhile, a fire broke out on the terrace of a 2-storey Turbhe building at 9pm after crackers fell on plastic decoration flowers. Sushil Gharat, a fire officer at RCF fire station, said the blaze was doused in 10 minutes. No one was injured.
