Two babies among 33 saved using ladder in Andheri fire | Mumbai News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Thirty-three people, including two newborns, were rescued after a fire broke out at a six-storey building at Saki Naka, Andheri (east), Saturday morning. The residents were brought to safety using a ladder from the outside as the building terrace was locked. No casualty was reported.
According to fire brigade officials, the blaze originated in the electrical meter box of Sathi Housing Soceity and it spread quickly, causing smoke to spread across the premises. Everyone from the building was brought out safely, chief fire officer Ravindra Ambulgekar said, adding tat a part of the first floor was damaged.
As the smoke had spread through the ground and first floors, making it difficult for people to escape, residents were stranded in the building itself, fire brigade officials said. The blaze, which erupted around 9 am, was extinguished a little before 11 am.
Imran Chowdhary, who lives on the first floor of the building, said that his daughter informed him about smoke emanating from the meter box. “Immediately, I blocked all entrances of our house using wet clothes so that the smoke would not enter into our home. I told other building residents to do the same. Many residents panicked and tried to run outside, but we decided to stay indoors till the fire brigade officials arrived and rescued us,” Chowdhary said, adding that he had already instructed his family members to cover their faces with wet cloth as a precautionary measure – a practice that helps prevent inhaling harmful smoke in case of a fire breaks out.
Hailder Ali,who operates a garage opposite the building, said that the grilles of windows had to be cut open to allow the residents to come out since the main entrance was smoke-logged.
Former Congress legislator from the locality, Naseem Khan, said that it was fortunate that no one was injured and fire brigade personnel controlled the blaze well, and in time.