A devastating fire at a commercial complex in Andheri East on Wednesday evening claimed the lives of two individuals. The blaze, which erupted in an office housing an electrical machinery manufacturing company, was intensified by the presence of lithium-ion batteries, leading to rapid spread and dense smoke.
Timeline of the Tragic Incident
The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) received the first alert at 6:36 pm regarding a fire at the Tex Centre on Saki Vihar Road in the Chandivali area. The situation was quickly assessed, and the fire was officially declared a level one blaze by 6:54 pm. The origin was traced to unit number 303 on the third floor, which served as the office for M/S Neocell Industries.
Firefighters faced a challenging scenario as the flames, fed by the company's lithium-ion batteries, electrical installations, wiring, and office furniture, spread swiftly across the third floor. The building, a ground-plus-four structure, was soon filled with billowing smoke, even though the fire remained confined to one level.
Rescue Operations and Fatalities
During the firefighting efforts, MFB personnel discovered two conscious men inside the engulfed office. They were immediately rushed to hospitals for treatment. Bhagvan Pitale, 40, and Sumant Jadhav, 28, were pronounced dead upon arrival at Seven Hills Hospital and Rajawadi Hospital, respectively.
A senior MFB official stated that while the two deceased are believed to be staffers of Neocell Industries, formal identification and confirmation of their roles are pending. "Our first priority is to rescue the trapped and extinguish the fire," the official emphasized.
Cause and Challenges of the Fire
Officials highlighted the significant role played by lithium-ion components in exacerbating the disaster. "Since batteries with lithium-ion components were present, the fire tends to spread multifolds very quickly," explained the MFB official. "There was also intensive smoke logging, which is amongst the biggest causes for casualties."
A multi-agency response was launched to control the emergency. Alongside the MFB's firemen, officials from the Mumbai Police and staff from the civic body were deployed to oversee and assist in the rescue operations. After hours of diligent cooling and firefighting efforts, the blaze was finally extinguished at 9:20 pm.
The incident has raised serious concerns about fire safety protocols in commercial complexes, especially in units handling flammable materials like lithium-ion batteries. An investigation into the exact cause of the fire ignition is likely underway.
