Major fire in Mumbai building; 1 dead, 6 suffer from suffocation, injuries
Mumbai: A 22-year-old man died and six others suffered from suffocation and other injuries after a massive fire broke out in a five-storey commercial building in south Mumbai's Grant Road area on Sunday morning, officials said.
Around eight to ten people were also rescued from the building, they said. The fire brigade got a call about the blaze in 'Aditya Arcade' building around 6 am. The blaze engulfed the building's electric duct passing through its staircase, stalls and offices situated in the basement, ground and first floors, they said.
A person, identified as Uttam Kumar, was found unconscious in the common passage near the staircase and was rushed to the nearby civic-run Nair Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival, a fire brigade official said.
Kumar seemed to have got trapped in the common passage while trying to escape as the fire engulfed the electric duct from the basement to upper floors by then, he said.
"Besides, five persons, including a fireman, suffered from suffocation, while one fireman received injuries on his hand during the rescue operation," he said. Of these six, three persons - Dilip Choudhary (40), Ashok Choudhary (23) and Bharat Choudhary (23) - were rushed to the state-run J J Hospital after they complained of suffocation.
"Their condition is reported to be stable," he said.
"Fireman Sudhan Gore also suffered from suffocation and dehydration, while fireman Nandkumar Wayal received cut injuries on his left hand. They were sent to Nair Hospital for further treatment," chief fire officer P S Rahangdale said.
"The fire was first reported at 6.06 am. It was a level-4 fire. The flames have been brought under control and rescue operation is underway," he said.
Since the smoke and heat made the rescue operations difficult, the fire brigade used battery-operated tools bought recently from Israel to cut windows and grills to get inside, the official said.
Thermal imaging cameras were also being used to locate the flames, he said.
The firefighting operations involved 150 personnel, 16 engines, 70 breathing apparatus sets, 10 jumbo tankers, besides several types of ladders which helped in rescuing eight to ten people from the building, another official said.
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Allahabad HC asks CBI, ED to inquire disproportionate assets allegation against Rahul Gandhi
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of amassing of disproportionate assets by Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The court has asked the agencies to submit the progress of the inquiry on July 20.
A division bench of Justices Rajesh Singh Chauhan and Zafeer Ahmad passed the order while hearing a criminal writ petition moved by a Karnataka BJP worker, S Vignesh Shishir.
The petitioner has alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets by Gandhi and sought direction of an inquiry into the matter.
The bench conducted an in-chamber hearing in the case on May 12.
In its order published on the high court's website on Thursday, the bench observed, "It is expected that if the complaint of the petitioner has been received, the allegations may be verified as per law. It is needless to say that the CBI or ED may take appropriate steps permissible under the law."
Besides the CBI and ED, the bench has also directed the Central government's Department of Personnel and Training, the Department of Revenue, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and the Director of Serious Fraud Investigation Office to file their responses on the allegations levelled by the petition within eight weeks.
According to the order, the CBI and the ED have informed the bench that they have received the petitioner's complaint and would file a response before the court.
To a query on whether the petition was maintainable, the bench said that this submission would be tested after receiving the counter-affidavits of the respective parties and the rejoinder affidavits thereof.
The court also ordered its senior registrar to keep the paper-book and the loose documents provided by the petitioner in a sealed cover to be opened on the next hearing.
