Now Reading: Mumbai building fire kills toddler, woman; six injured
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Mumbai building fire kills toddler, woman; six injured
A fire broke out at 10 pm on Tuesday in two flats on the 11th floor of Shanta Bhavan building in Vile Parle West, Mumbai. Two people were killed: Abir, aged 2.5…
The Story in Brief
A fire broke out at 10 pm on Tuesday in two flats on the 11th floor of Shanta Bhavan building in Vile Parle West, Mumbai. Two people were killed: Abir, aged 2.5 years, and Ankita, 23, both declared brought dead at Nanavati Hospital. Six others were injured, including firefighter Manoj Sonavane, who was treated and discharged.
The blaze spread across 4,000 sq ft of electrical wiring, an AC unit, furniture, and household items. It was brought under control by 12.25 am and extinguished by 1 am. Eight fire engines and other vehicles responded. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Indian Opinion
This tragedy will inevitably spark calls for stricter fire audits in Mumbai's older buildings. But before assigning blame, let the investigation establish the cause. A rush to single out residents or the builder without evidence helps no one. Equally, officials must publicly verify whether the building's fire safety systems were functional and whether the fire brigade's response time was adequate. The key test: will the inquiry report disclose the presence or absence of working alarms and extinguishers on that floor?
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
