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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rocket from Yemen strikes Tel Aviv, injuring 16, as Palestinians mourn 19 dead in Gaza
Tel Aviv, Dec 21: A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people slightly injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians.
A further 14 people sustained minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before the projectile hit just before 4 am Saturday, the military said.
The Houthi rebels issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.
The attack comes less than two days after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi attack in which a long-range missile hit an Israeli school building. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel on Thursday.
The Israeli military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they won't stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Israeli strikes Thursday caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports “that will lead to the immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The port at Hodeida has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said both sides' attacks risk further escalation in the region and undermine UN mediation efforts.
