Just a day after a major blaze in Navi Mumbai's Turbhe MIDC area, a fire broke out at a shop on Khairani road in Mumbai early on Monday morning. About 12 people have been killed in the fire and many are said to be trapped in the rubble.
#UPDATE: Death toll in Mumbai's Khairani road fire rises to 12
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017
#FLASH: 10 people dead in a fire that broke out at a shop on Khairani road in #Mumbai in the early morning hours pic.twitter.com/H9N3J5bTpR
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017
The shop caught fire around 4 am on Monday, and fire tenders were rushed to the spot. While the fire was doused in 30 minutes, it claimed 12 lives. "The electric wiring and installation, and a huge stock of eatables, furniture and sheets had caught fire," the official told the Hindustan Times.
"Some workers managed to run out and escape before the structure collapsed, so the remaining people may still be trapped. Search operations are going on," the official added.
This is the second fire in the city in the last 24 hours. On Sunday, nine workers were injured, when a fire broke out in the reactor of a chemical plant in Navi Mumbai's Turbhe MIDC area. Modepro (India) Private Ltd is said to have caught fire around 4.30 pm and the main building, as well as the godown, was damaged. About 40 employees are said to have been at the plant when the explosion took place.
"The fire broke out after a blast in the company. There are two buildings with ground plus two storey structures. While there was a chemical plant in one building, the other building was being used as a godown. After the blast in the chemical plant, the adjoining godown was also damaged and it can collapse at any time," the Indian Express quoted an official as saying.
Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was brought under control after about three hours. "We don't have an idea about the number of people working in the company," another official added.
As the blaze was massive, nearby areas too were evacuated.
Mumbai: Fire breaks out in a building in Turbhe MIDC Industrial area in Navi Mumbai, fire tenders present on the spot pic.twitter.com/xHrtWiFZ5Z
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2017