4 injured in fire in skyscraper in India's financial capital

By Associated Press 13 June 2018, 12:00AM

MUMBAI, India (AP) — A fire raged for about five hours Wednesday in an upscale high-rise apartment building in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital, injuring four people and badly damaging the top two floors of the building.

Three firefighters and one resident suffered burns as 95 people were evacuated from the glass-faced building, the fire service control room said. The fire started on the top level of the 33-floor building and later engulfed the 32nd floor as well.

About 150 firefighters with 16 fire engines and 10 water tankers took about five hours to extinguish the flames leaping from the building. Smoke engulfed the area, propelled by a strong sea breeze.

The task was made difficult by falling shards of glass and other debris.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and authorities ordered an investigation.

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone lives in the building in the Prabhadevi area of south Mumbai, but was not home at the time of the fire. "I am safe. Thank you everyone," she later tweeted.

Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders. In December, a late-night fire in a restaurant at a Mumbai complex killed 15 people.

By Associated Press 13 June 2018, 12:00AM
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