Fire in Mumbai building; 100 trapped on terrace, say officials
Mumbai: Nearly 100 persons are feared trapped on the terrace of a Mumbai telephone exchange building where fire broke out Monday afternoon, civic officials said.
It is a nine-floor building and fire is confined mainly to the third and fourth floors, an official said. Fire broke out at around 3 pm at the MTNL building, which incidentally is located near a fire brigade centre in suburban Bandra.
As it is a working day, many persons, mostly MTNL employees, were present inside the building, he said. Fourteen fire engines and other equipment, including a robot van and an ambulance, is engaged in fire fighting, he said. Fire is confined on third and fourth floor of the ground plus nine-floor building," the official said.
Fire fighting and rescue operations is in progress and efforts to rescue people stranded on upper floors and terrace of the building are on, he said.
Visuals on TV channels showed smoke billowing from the building and people on the terrace trying to signal those below. There were no reports yet of anyone being injured in the incident.
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DMK seeks separate seating in Lok Sabha after split with Congress alliance
New Delhi: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a separate seating arrangement for Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) following the end of the party’s alliance with the Indian National Congress.
In a letter dated May 7 addressed to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi said the changed political situation made it inappropriate for DMK MPs to continue sitting alongside Congress members in the House.
She requested the Speaker to make “suitable changes” in the seating arrangement of the DMK Parliamentary Party and allot separate seating for its MPs.
“In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” the letter stated.
Kanimozhi further said separate seating would help DMK members effectively discharge their responsibilities in the Lok Sabha.
