Mumbai building fire: 2 fire officers injured, two missing

Two fire brigade officers were seriously injured while as many went missing and were feared trapped under the debris after a devastating fire engulfed an old building in south Mumbai this afternoon and caused its partial collapse.

A portion of the under-repair 'Gokul Nivas', an over- century old four-story building in the densely populated Kalba Devi area, collapsed as wooden beams and columns were gutted in the fire that broke out in the afternoon, said senior police inspector S S Mandalik of L T Marg police station.

The building has some residential apartments on the fourth floor and cloth godowns and shops on the floors below. The fire, spread over all the four floors, was yet to be brought under complete control even late in the night.

Chief fire officer Sunil Nesrikar received 40 per cent burn injuries and was admitted to the special burns hospital in Airoli in neighbouring Thane district, said Prabhat Rahangdale, deputy chief fire officer.

Deputy chief fire officer Ameen received 80 to 90 per cent burn injuries. Two other fire officers, S W Rane and M M Desai, were missing, Rahangadle added. It is feared that they could be trapped under the debris.

A couple of residents too were injured. They were admitted to nearby MasinaHospital.

"We were informed about the fire at 4.20 pm and our personnel reached the spot in ten miniutes despite traffic snarls," a fire brigade official said.

Seventeen fire engines and 10 tankers were rushed to the spot. Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta visited the spot late in the night.