Two women dead in fire at five-storey building

Two women died as fire broke out at Punjab Mahal building in south Mumbai, while many were hospitalised due to suffocation. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Mumbai: Two women, both senior citizens, died in a major fire that broke out at a five-storey building in south Mumbai on Thursday night.

"The fire broke out at Punjab Mahal building in Bori Mohalla area around 10.30 pm Thursday," police said.

Fire brigade rushed 12 fire-fighting vehicles to the spot and the building was evacuated, he said.

However, four persons, trapped on the fourth floor, were rescued by fire brigade personnel. But two women, Farida Master (60) and Naphisa Geetam (60), were found lying unconscious.

Both were rushed to hospital but were declared dead before arrival, the official said.

Station fire officer Chandrashekhar Gupta (36), firemen Pundalik Mane (27) and Ramesh Sagar (35) and 11 residents of the building were treated at the hospital for suffocation, he added.

The cause of the fire was being ascertained, he said.