Mumbai:
Three people have died and at least 12 people have been injured in the fire that broke out at the Mumbai mantralaya or secretariat, the government's headquarters, this afternoon. The blaze has now become stronger on the sixth floor and through the night, fire fighters will try to put out the flames.
(See pics)The massive fire began at about 2.45 pm on the fourth floor. It spread quickly to engulf the fifth, and the sixth floors of the seven-storey building. Nearly 5,000 people were inside the building when the fire began. Some said it took more than 30 minutes after a phone call for fire engines to arrive.
To battle the fire, more than 20 fire engines were parked at the building. On cranes, and via ladders and ropes, they rescued nearly 65 people trapped inside the building. The rest of the building was empty by now. Naval helicopters joined the rescue operations. The Navy sent a message through the media that those trapped inside should climb to the roof if they could, so that they could be airlifted. Vans equipped with oxygen tanks were rushed to the site from the nearby hospital for those who were emerging, their lungs full of smoke.
"The fire kept getting stronger, first there was only smoke. We broke the windows with chairs and climbed out on the ledge. We climbed down the pipe from the fifth floor," said a man.
Three bodies have been recovered during combing operations from the building. Two of them were found on the sixth floor outside the Deputy Chief Minister's office. They have been identified as Umesh Kotekar and Mahesh Ghugale.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was inside the building when the fire began. He was escorted outside and from there, he supervised the rescue operations. At least twelve people were injured and moved to hospital. The Crime Branch will investigate the fire. The cause is suspected to be a short circuit, but sabotage will be investigated as well, routine for an inquiry of this kind.
From Marine Drive, the view was startling. The smoke spiralled into the air, a ceaseless dark plume broken intermittently by the naval choppers.
The chief minister says ministers will work from alternate offices.
List of injured who have been admitted to hospitals:
GT Hospital - Jagannath Duvkule, 45
- Suresh Tambe, 50
- Shridhar Surve, 58
- Avinath Surve, 52
JJ Hospital - Ashok Pisaal, 50
- Kishor Gangurde, 34
- Satish Lalit, 52
- Hemant Khaire, 50
St George Hospital- Ali Abraham, 82
- Ladak Bhanushali, 50
- K Jahagir, 50
- PM Ambode, 40