Mumbai: The Andheri ESIC Hospital fire left at least six dead including a two-month-old baby and 147 others have been rescued. The injured have been rushed to the hospital. The rescue operation is currently underway. A rescue van and 16 ambulances are present on the spot.
The fire, caused by a suspected short-circuit, was first noticed in the upper floors of the five-storied building with a glass facade in the MIDC area — the industrial hub in the north-western suburb — around 4.15 PM.
At least 12 fire tenders, 15 water tankers, and other specialised equipment were rushed to battle the blaze and those trapped were taken out via ladders from the third and fourth floors as the flames quickly spread horizontally and vertically.
The rescue operations were hampered for a while due to snapping of power supply from the building as a precautionary measure and by 7 PM the blaze was stated to be “under control”, with cooling operations were being taken up.
Earlier, Mumbai Mayor V Mahadeshwar had said the cause of the fire is not known yet. Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) is responsible for the fire audits, whether they carried out fire audits or not, that will be investigated, said Mahadeshwar.
According to the Disaster Management cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), several patients have been shifted to the Cooper Hospital (Andheri West), P. Thakrey Hospital (Trauma), Jogeshwari (East), Holi Spirit Hospital and Seven Hills Hospital in Andheri (East).
Of those rescued, 19 have been admitted in Juhu’s Cooper Hospital, including two brought dead, 40 in Holy Spirit Hospital, 44 in Seven Hills Hospital including three dead, 39 were taken to Prabodhankar Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital, Jogeshwari, three in Hiranandani Hospital and two in Siddharth Hospital, for treatment.
#UPDATE Death toll rises to 6 in the fire that broke out in ESIC Kamgar hospital in Andheri, Mumbai. 147 people have been rescued till now. https://t.co/bCSbsAOxHZ
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018
More details are awaited.
On November 13, at least two people were killed and several others sustained injuries after a fire broke out in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building in Mumbai.
The incident had taken place on the 10th and 11th floor of the Kadam Chawl SRA building, near Oberoi Towers in Andheri West’s Veera Desai road.
