A major fire broke out in Jolly Makers — a high-rise residential tower at Cuffe Parade in the early hours of Sunday. There were no casualties in the incident, as the fire brigade officials managed to rescue 26 residents during the four hours of extensive fire fighting operations.
The blaze erupted on the 19th floor of the B wing of the 26-storeyed tower at 3.30 am. According to fire officials, the fire broke out in the AC unit of the flat belonging to the Sekhri family.
Though the cause of the fire is still not known, it could have been triggered by a short circuit in the AC unit, said fire officials.
However, battling the blaze, the fire officials successfully rescued senior citizens, disabled and infants from the building. “Residents were suffocating due to the smoke and heat of the fire. We had to literally lift to take them down through staircases,” said a senior fire official.
At least nine fire tenders, two water tankers and two ambulances were rushed to the spot. The fire was finally brought under control by 9 am.
According to the fire officials, the fire fighting operations were delayed, as the internal fire fighting system of the building was not working properly due to lack of maintenance.
“Because of this, we had to carry fire fighting equipments to the 19th floor. A notice will be issued to the building management under the Maharashtra Fire and Life Safety Act for their inability to keep the system in working condition,” said a senior fire official.
The fire brigade conducts annual inspections of the high-rise buildings in the city and according to their inspection report, most high-rise buildings have ignored the fire safety norms.