A fire broke out in a 12 storey Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building in Kurla-west late on Friday. The fire was confined to electrical wiring and scrap material in the electrical duct. Over 50 people stranded on various floors were rescued by the fire brigade through the staircase. 43 residents were affected due to suffocation, and 39 of them were sent to Rajawadi Hospital. The rest were sent to Kohinoor Hospital. 29 residents have been admitted to hospital for treatment. 10 residents took discharge against medical advice, while the condition of the others is stable.
A sixth-floor resident, Parshuram Kadam, noticed something amiss when the lights in his house started to flicker at around 11.30 pm. He saw flames coming out of the ducts and immediately alerted his family members and rushed down. On the way, he knocked on everyone’s doors, warning them of the fire. Fortunately, they managed to escape before the blaze increased in severity. However, some residents attempted to reach the terrace, which was locked, and got suffocated due to the smoke. The fire brigade rescued these stranded residents using the stairs.
This is not the first fire incident in an SRA building on the same premises. In February this year, a fire in another SRA building resulted in the death of a 70-year-old woman and injuries to two others. The latest fire incident highlights the lack of an operational fire-fighting system in the building. Former corporator Harish Bhandirge stated that locals are unable to maintain the fire-fighting systems, which need periodic maintenance. The fire could not be extinguished quickly as the in-house fire-fighting systems were not functional. The blaze was finally extinguished after cutting off the electric supply of the building.
