Fire breaks out at Mumbai Mall, over 3,500 people evacuated from nearby buildings

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Oct 23, 2020: A massive fire broke out at the City Center Mall in Mumbai’s Nagpada area on Thursday night. Efforts to control the blaze are currently underway and the fire has been categorised as a level-four fire. Two fire personnel have been injured during the firefighting operations at the mall, news agency ANI reported.

Nearly 300 people were evacuated from the basement plus three-storey mall after the fire broke out, an official said. A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release stated that the Mumbai Fire Brigade issued a ’brigade call’ in which fire tenders are called from all agencies in the city.

Around 50 fire fighting vehicles, including 24 fire tenders and 16 jumbo tankers are employed in the operation at the location. Additionally, more than 250 officers and firemen have been engaged, it said. A fireman was injured during the fire fighting operation and was taken to a nearby hospital, the release added.

The blaze was at first categorised as level 1 (minor) but was elevated to level-3 at 10.45 pm and to level-4 at 2.30 am, after flames advanced to other parts of the building. The blaze broke out in a mobile shop on the second floor of the mall, which primarily has shops for mobile accessories. The BMC added that around 3,500 residents of the 55-floor Orchid Enclave tower adjoining the mall were moved to safety as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar visited the site and took stock of the fire fighting efforts. As per fire brigade officials, the exact reason of the fire has not yet been ascertained.

This is the second incident of fire reported in Mumbai on Thursday. A fire had earlier broken out at a garment factory in suburban Kurla, but no casualty was reported in the incident, a civic official said. The blaze erupted at the garment factory on Sundar Baug Road near Kamani fire station at around 3:15 pm.


courtesy: News18