Mumbai:
Three people were killed in a fire that began this morning in the basement of the city's iconic Bombay House. The building in Mumbai's business district is the headquarters of the Tata Group. (See map for Bombay House)
The people who died worked in the canteen.
At 9.15 am, an electric fire triggered by a spark in an air conditioner started spewing thick smoke into the basement of Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group.
Fire-fighters say the only windows were completely blocked by the air-conditioner that caused the fire - of the four people trapped, three died of suffocation. The lone survivor was rushed to St George's Hospital nearby. In fact the fire-fighters used crowbars and hammers to break the split-air conditioning unit to enable the smoke to escape.
Fire fighters say that while the fire began in the southern part, those trapped rushed to the northern part in an attempt to escape the fumes. But staircases are located on the western and eastern sides.
The fire-fighting equipment in the basement was incapable of helping out. Meant to detect heat, smoke and fire, the system had been switched into the manual mode, instead of the automatic position - a deadly lapse. "If it had been on automatic, then there would have been total flooding and the fire could have been put out," said Uday Tatkare, Chief Fire Officer of Mumbai's Fire Department.
The Tata Group has offered its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, promising relief.
Statement from Bombay House
A fire broke out this morning, before office hours, in Bombay House, headquarters of Tata Group.
The fire has been brought under control and the building evacuated.
Out of the people evacuated, there were three casualties; Farad Wadia, Eashwar Patel and Shashank Pawar.
A Tata Sons spokesperson said, the Group offers deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relief is being organised.
The authorities are investigating the cause of the incident. The Tata group is fully cooperating in the investigations.
The people who died worked in the canteen.
At 9.15 am, an electric fire triggered by a spark in an air conditioner started spewing thick smoke into the basement of Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group.
Fire-fighters say the only windows were completely blocked by the air-conditioner that caused the fire - of the four people trapped, three died of suffocation. The lone survivor was rushed to St George's Hospital nearby. In fact the fire-fighters used crowbars and hammers to break the split-air conditioning unit to enable the smoke to escape.
Fire fighters say that while the fire began in the southern part, those trapped rushed to the northern part in an attempt to escape the fumes. But staircases are located on the western and eastern sides.
The fire-fighting equipment in the basement was incapable of helping out. Meant to detect heat, smoke and fire, the system had been switched into the manual mode, instead of the automatic position - a deadly lapse. "If it had been on automatic, then there would have been total flooding and the fire could have been put out," said Uday Tatkare, Chief Fire Officer of Mumbai's Fire Department.
The Tata Group has offered its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, promising relief.
Statement from Bombay House
A fire broke out this morning, before office hours, in Bombay House, headquarters of Tata Group.
The fire has been brought under control and the building evacuated.
Out of the people evacuated, there were three casualties; Farad Wadia, Eashwar Patel and Shashank Pawar.
A Tata Sons spokesperson said, the Group offers deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relief is being organised.
The authorities are investigating the cause of the incident. The Tata group is fully cooperating in the investigations.
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