Mumbai mall fire doused; 14 rescued, seven, including 3 firemen, suffer smoke inhalation problems

A major fire broke out at Heera Panna Mall in suburban Oshiwara here on Friday afternoon, resulting in smoke inhalation problems to seven persons, including three firemen, while 14 others were rescued, officials said.

The 'Level 3' blaze, which started in the mall located close to the Oshiwara police station at 3:10pm, was doused at 7:40pm after 25 fire brigade vehicles, including 12 fire engines, were deployed, they added.

At least 14 persons including a woman were safely rescued from the four-storey building, while three firemen were hospitalised after suffering suffocation due to smoke inhalation, they said.

Four persons, identified as Raj Pribhas Israni (69), Amruta Mukesh Sagar (39), Mitesh Sheth (39) and Sachin More (41) suffered injuries.

While Israni and Sagar were admitted in the ICU of Kokilaben Hospital for smoke inhalation problems, Sheth and More were discharged after treatment there, officials said.

According to officials, nine persons were rescued from the terrace using a 'Turn Table Ladder', two people were rescued using an Angus' ladder, while three others were rescued through the staircase.

Officials said three firemen of the Goregaon fire station, namely Sandip Maruti Patil, Raju Uttam Shingankar and Yogesh Kondawar suffered suffocation while dousing the fire.

Patil and Shingarkar were rushed to the civic-run Cooper hospital, while Kondawar was taken to the civic-run Trauma Care hospital, officials said.

The flames were confined to electrical wiring and installations in about a dozen shops on the second and third floors.

Thick black smoke emanating from the building was visible from far.

The fire was initially declared as Level 2, but around 3.40 pm it was upgraded to level-3, which denotes a major fire. These levels are arrived upon depending on the intensity of the blaze, the items at the site that could feed it as well as general difficulty in dousing it.

The cause of the fire is being ascertained though it is suspected the blaze started due to a short circuit, officials said.

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