Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 24 : A fire broke out early Friday morning at a cluster of scrap shops in Mumbai's Mankhurd area, officials said.
According to information received from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the incident was reported at around 5:04 am from Kurla Scrap Dealers located in Ekta Nagar on G.M. Link Road, Mandala, Mankhurd. A second alert was received at 5:25 am.
The fire was confined to four to five ground-floor scrap material units (galas). Based on initial information provided by the caller, no individuals were trapped inside the affected premises.
Firefighting operations were promptly initiated. The fire brigade, police, ambulance services, the concerned electricity distribution company, the Public Works Department (PWD), and BMC ward staff were mobilised to the incident site.
The MFB declared it a Level-I fire.
No injuries have been reported so far.
On the incident, a fire official said, "In the Mandal area, a fire broke out at 5:15 AM involving scrap materials, primarily wooden and combustible substances, covering an area of about 500 square meters. Fire services received the call at 5:30 AM and responded promptly with four fire engines and a jumbo tanker."
He further said that "despite a crowded and narrow street, they managed to contain and extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading further. A cooling operation is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported as all individuals were safely evacuated. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined through further investigation."
In a separate case, a Level-I fire incident has been reported near D B Marg, Opp Reliance Mall, Mumbai Central. The fire was confined to various shops and rooms in a chawl with no injuries reported. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation MFB, Police, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) staff, and BMC's Ward staff were mobilised to the scene.
Speaking on the incident, Congress MLA Amin Patel said the blaze is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.
"A fire broke out around 10:30-10:45 pm. Initially, it seemed to be a small fire caused by an electrical short circuit. However, there are many small shops and people in the area. The residential portion upstairs was vacant, and the building was already in a somewhat dangerous condition. Significant damage has occurred, although fortunately, there have been no casualties," he said, talking to ANI.
On the firefighting efforts, Patel added that the situation is largely under control, but operations are still ongoing."The fire brigade is working to extinguish the fire, which is now under control but may take another two hours to fully put out. Cooling operations will continue until tomorrow. Due to safety concerns, some sections on the left side of the building are dangerously unstable and will need to be demolished. MHADA will be called tomorrow morning to handle the demolition," he said.
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