Mumbai: Soon-to-wed couple, Gujarat businessman die in Santacruz hotel fire | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: A couple, who were soon to get married, and a businessman from Gujarat died while three others suffered injuries in a fire that broke out in a second-floor room at Hotel Galaxy located in Prabhat Colony at Santacruz (E) on Sunday afternoon.
The three victims, who had come from Ahmedabad and were to fly to Nairobi, were accommodated in the ground-plus four-storey hotel by an airline as their flight was rescheduled. Kenyan national Rupal Kanji Dhanji (25), Kishan Premji Halai (28) and businessman Kantilal Gordhan Vara (48) were all in room number 304.
Vakola police have registered three different accidental death reports and are yet to file an FIR yet as they are awaiting the fire department report on the alleged violations. Chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar said: “We will examine the documentation of the hotel and also conduct an inspection. Action will be taken, if any safety violations are found.”
The BMC had recently issued a notice to Galaxy Hotel, which was built in 1966, for failure to adhere to fire safety norms. BMC H-East ward health officer Dr Satish Badgire said, “We have filed a case against the hotel in court, but it is yet to reply to our notice.”
Another civic official alleged that the hotel had made structural changes and action would be taken by the building and factory department for the violations.
A hotel staffer told TOI that the fire broke out when Hardik Bhat, occupant of room number 204, switched on the AC and sparks flew out of the unit. “He immediately came down and alerted the staff who tried to douse the flames using a fire extinguisher,” he said.
Hotel fire: 3 stuck in room with locked windows, jammed door
A fire broke in Hotel Galaxy in Santacruz (E) on Sunday, killing three people. A hotel staffer said the guest in room no. 204 had alerted them of flames erupting from the AC unit. “Even as the employees tried to fire-fight using an extinguisher, the curtains caught fire and the flames started spreading rapidly. We then called the fire brigade,” said the staffer. The flames soon spread to the upper floor via the staircase with wood cladding, embellishments, linen, and laundry material turning out to be the fuel for the fire. Fire station officer R S Pawde said: “We rescued nine people from various rooms by breaking open some of the glass windows and façade and setting up a ladder from outside the hotel premises.
From the third floor, we rescued two women and two men from rooms 307 and 308, while two men, including a staffer, were rescued from the second floor.” Assistant divisional fire officer S K Sawant and senior station officer Khanolkar were among those who supervised the firefighting operation. “Businessman Kantilal Vara (48) was in room number 302, but panicked after the fire broke out and went to 304, where Kenyan national Rupal Dhanji (25) and Kishan Halai (28) were already inside,” said a fire staffer. An official said Rupal called up her father, who was occupying another room along with her mother and sister, and asked them to get out of the hotel.
Fire-fighters managed to get her parents and sister out safely, but the couple and businessman got stuck in the room and could not open the locked windows. “The door lock also got jammed due to the heat. Besides, thick smoke crept into the room,” said the official. A hotel staffer said the windows are kept locked as they are worried about customers jumping out in drunken stupor or children falling. Aslam Saheb, a staffer, suffered injuries after he fell while removing the rain shed.
Doctors at V N Desai Hospital said two of the injured, Alfa Vakhariya (19) and Manjula Vakhariya (49), were kept under observation for a few hours and later discharged. Medical superintendent Dr H S Bava said both didn’t suffer burn injuries. The bodies of the deceased were sent to R N Cooper Hospital for autopsy.