Mumbai (Maharashtra): A fire broke out in a mall in Mumbai on Thursday night, following which two personnel were injured in the firefighting operations.
The blaze erupted in the City Center Mall in Mumbai Central around 8.53 pm. The fire erupted in a mobile shop on the second floor of the mall, which mainly houses shops for mobile accessories, besides a few other stores.
Around 300 people were rescued from the basement plus three-storey mall after the fire broke out, an official said.
The fire was initially categorised as level 1 (minor) but was upgraded to level-3 at 10.45 pm and eventually to level-5, as flames spread to other parts of the building.
The Mumbai fire brigade personnel were engaged in controlling the blaze at the mall, as the fire continued to rage even 12 hours after it had broken out.
A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release said the Mumbai Fire Brigade had given a 'brigade call' in which fire engines are called from all agencies in the city.
Around 50 fire fighting vehicles, including 24 fire engines and 16 jumbo tankers were engaged in the fire fighting at the spot, besides over 250 officers and firemen, it said.
Two personnel of the fire brigade were also affected while dousing the flames - while one was reported having breathing difficulties, the other received burn injuries. The injured personnel were reportedly rushed to the city's JJ hospital.
Read: Mumbai: Fire at garment factory in Kurla; no casualties
Meanwhile, people from a 55-storey building next to the mall were also evacuated. The BMC said around 3,500 residents of the 55-floor Orchid Enclave tower adjoining the mall were shifted as a precautionary measure.
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar visited the site and reviewed the fire fighting operation.
According to fire brigade officials, the exact cause of the fire was not yet known.
This was the second fire in the city on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, a fire had broken out in a garment factory at Kurla West. It was doused after more than two hours.
(With inputs from agencies)
