Fire in 12-storey building in Mumbai; around 60 residents rescued, 39 of them hospitalised
Mumbai (PTI): A fire broke out in a 12-storey residential building in Kurla area of Mumbai shortly after midnight on Saturday, following which the fire brigade rescued around 60 people living there, an official said.
The incident occurred around 12.10 am in the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building number 7 located opposite Kohinoor Hospital, he said, adding that 39 of the rescued persons were admitted to hospitals after they complained of suffocation.
"The blaze erupted soon after midnight. On being alerted about it, a team of fire brigade personnel along with four water engines, as many jumbo tankers and other equipment reached the spot and started the firefighting operation," a fire brigade official said.
The fire started from the ground floor of the 12-storey building and was confined to the electric wiring and scrap material kept there. It was a 'level one' (minor) fire. As the flames moved upwards and the building was engulfed in smoke, it triggered panic among the residents, the official said.
The fire brigade personnel cut off the electricity supply and extinguished the fire by around 1.45 am, he said.
"Fifty to sixty residents stranded on different floors of the building were rescued by the fire brigade staff using the staircase. Due to the smoke, 39 of the rescued persons complained of suffocation, of whom 35 were admitted to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, while four others were taken to Kohinoor Hospital," he said.
Their condition is stable, he added.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
