Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) Two fire fighters lost their lives while two were injured, one of them critically, while battling a massive blaze in a Mumbai building late on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday announced a high-level probe into the incident which took a heavy toll on its firemen. A report would be submitted within three weeks.
The firemen — M.M. Desai and S.W. Rane of the Mumbai Fire Brigade — were reported missing since late Saturday evening when they rushed to fight the blaze in Gokul Nivas, an under-repair building in the congested Kalbadevi area of south Mumbai, said an official of the BMC disaster control department.
Their badly charred bodies with more than 80 percent burns were recovered from the site around 12.30 a.m., the official said.
Chief fire officer Sunil Nesrikar and another senior officer S.G. Amin suffered serious burns.
After initial treatment, they were shifted to the National Burns Centre (NBC) in Navi Mumbai.
Nesarikar sustained around 50 percent burns, mainly on his face, but his condition is said to be stable.
Amin, however, was in a critical condition and battling for life with more than 80 percent burns.
Four other people, including a woman, who were trapped inside the building, were evacuated and scores of others from adjoining buildings were taken out as a precaution in case the blaze spreads further.
Midway during the firefighting, the building collapsed in parts, burying the two firemen — Desai and Rane.
After more than seven hours of operations, the fire was brought under control around midnight.
All the four firemen, including the two deceased, had rendered sterling services during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack at various locations in south Mumbai.
Amin, 49, the current deputy chief fire officer, was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for his bravery.
This was the second major traumatic incident in the past 10 months for the city fire brigade – officially existing since April 1887.
On July 18 last year, a firemen was killed on duty while battling a blaze at Lotus Business Park, a commercial high-rise in Andheri west.
Following the incident, the then CFO A.N. Verma was demoted and the BMC elevated his deputy, Sunil Nesarikar as CFO.
Mumbai BJP MP Kirit Somaiya visited the injured firemen and spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking all help for all the fire-fighters.
Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and other top officials visited the site of the fire and assured that compensation to the deceased would be cleared within a week, while the injured firemen would be provided the best of medicare.