By IANS,
Mumbai : Three people were killed and one critically injured Wednesday in a fire in the basement of Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, in the heart of Mumbai’s central business district.
Blocked ventilators in the basement could have led to the blaze that killed three Tata Group staffers Farad Wadia, Eashwar Patel and Shashank Pawar, officials said. The fire, which broke out around 9.30 a.m. also left one person seriously injured who is under treatment at the Sir J.J. Hospital.
“The three persons were trapped in the basement and succumbed while a fourth person was brought out in a serious condition,” Mumbai’s Chief Fire Officer U.K. Tatkare told IANS.
He said the victims could not be rescued on time as the ventilators in the basement were sealed and air-conditioners were installed there.
“We do not know if they have taken permission to do this and whether people were allowed to live in the basement,” Tatkare told mediapersons after the fire was brought under control by eight fire tenders and four tankers.
He added that in view of the blocked ventilators in the basement, the fire brigade wasted precious time in breaking the air-conditioners to go inside to the aid of the trapped people.
By the time they reached, three people had suffocated to death and one was seriously injured. Two others trapped on the building terrace were rescued safely.
The entire area where Bombay House is located in the heart of central business district has been sealed to facilitate relief and rescue operations.
A Tata Group spokesperson said: “The Tata Group offers deepest condolences to the bereaved families and relief is being organised.”
He added that the authorities were investigating the cause of the tragic incident and the Tata Group was fully cooperating in the investigations.