A fierce blaze ripped through the upper floors of a 13-storey glass-facade commercial building in Mumbai's densely packed Jogeshwari suburb on Thursday morning, leaving 17 people suffering from suffocation due to choking black smoke. The incident at JNS Business Center near Gandhi School disrupted the bustling commercial hub, but swift firefighting efforts contained the flames, with no fatalities reported. Officials attributed the rapid spread to electrical wiring and ducts, highlighting persistent fire safety vulnerabilities in India's high-rises amid rapid urbanisation.
The fire erupted around 10:50 a.m., engulfing electric wiring, installations, false ceilings, doors, windows, AC ducts, and furniture from the ninth to thirteenth floors, while flames also propagated through the electric duct between the fourth and thirteenth levels. Thick smoke billowed across the facade, infiltrating offices on the eleventh to thirteenth floors and trapping occupants. Mumbai Fire Brigade deployed at least 12 fire engines and specialised equipment, surrounding the structure for comprehensive dousing operations that continued into the afternoon. Personnel shattered the glass exterior to ventilate the toxic fumes, a critical move that aided rescues amid the hazardous conditions.
In a coordinated response, firefighters evacuated 27 individuals, including two women, via staircases and hydraulic platform ladders, showcasing the brigade's readiness in one of Asia's most fire-prone metropolises. Of the 17 affected by suffocation—primarily from smoke inhalation—nine received treatment at the nearby HBT Municipal Hospital, where they stabilised under oxygen therapy. The remaining eight, assessed as stable, were discharged against medical advice to avoid prolonged hospital stays. No severe burns or structural collapses were noted, though the building's evacuation underscored the perils of vertical commercial spaces, where narrow escape routes amplify risks during peak business hours.
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This event echoes a string of high-profile fires in Mumbai, including the 2022 Camelia fire that killed seven, prompting stricter audits under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention Act. Experts advocate for advanced smoke detectors, pressurised stairwells, and regular drills in commercial towers housing thousands of workers daily. As investigations probe the spark—likely electrical—the civic body plans safety inspections across Jogeshwari's skyline. The swift containment averted wider chaos in the suburb's traffic-choked veins, but it serves as a stark reminder: in a city of 21 million, where skyscrapers symbolise progress, unchecked hazards can turn ambition into peril.
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