Mumbai: A security guard (30) fell to death from the balcony of a 61-storey residential high-rise in Mumbai following a major blaze on Friday, a fire official said. The blaze which broke out on 'One Avighna Park' with thick clouds of smoke billowing out, sent the residents scurrying for safety.
"After the fire broke out, Arun Tiwari, a security guard of the building, rushed to the 19th floor. Soon he realised that he was trapped and in order to save himself from the blaze, he kept hanging from the balcony of the flat where the fire had erupted. He precariously clung to the railing of the balcony for several minutes before losing his grip and falling to death," a fire brigade official told PTI.
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Though Tiwari was rushed to the King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM), he was declared dead, he added.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on learning about the incident visited the area and monitored the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said that the fire has been extinguished and an inquiry will be carried out into the incident.
According to officials, 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames and attempts were made to curb the flames from spreading to the higher floors.
Preliminary information according to residents is that the blaze broke out due to a short-circuit, however, an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
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