26 January,2026 08:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Eeshanpriya MS
The vehicle was originally inducted in Mumbai Fire Brigade’s fleet on September 24, 1941. Pic/By Special Arrangement
The BMC has restored its oldest turntable ladder (a firefighting vehicle used to scale heights in case of fires in tall buildings), and will induct it in Mumbai's fleet of firefighting vehicles. This turntable ladder was manufactured in 1937 by Leyland Motors Ltd in England (later Ashok Leyland) and was inducted in Mumbai Fire Brigade's fleet on September 24, 1941. It was used in controlling the fire that broke out on a cargo ship at the Mumbai docks in 1944.
At the time of its induction, this ladder was considered state-of-the-art for its ability to scale the height of tall buildings, warehouses, and elevated locations in the port area to douse fires. This ladder is made entirely of iron and can be rotated manually. Over time, the turntable ladder vehicle became inoperable and was preserved as a historical artefact at the Mumbai Fire Brigade headquarters at Byculla.
On April 14, 1944, a fire broke out on the cargo ship SS Fort Stikine, which was docked at the Victoria Docks. The ship, which was destroyed in two blasts as it was loaded with ammunition, explosives, fuel, and war material. It destroyed at least 27 other ships in its vicinity, killed 800-1000 residents of the city, and took three days to douse. This vehicle was used for tasks such as reaching and extinguishing the fire in the tall warehouses at the port, rescuing those trapped near the ship, and rescuing the injured.
An official from BMC said, "We undertook the restoration process as Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, who was passionate about its historical significance, proposed and supported its restoration. It has been a tedious process for various reasons related to the age of the vehicle. It was very difficult to obtain original spare parts." Therefore, contemporary technical records, blueprints, and references were sought. The design of each spare part was created, and these parts were newly manufactured using modern technology. The vehicle will be inducted into the Mumbai Fire Brigade's fleet after an inauguration by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today.
These are specialised fire engines with a large rotating ladder mounted on a truck chassis. They are known for their use to scale heights in case of fires in tall buildings, and can be used in firefighting, rescue operations, and observation. They can rotate 360 degrees and include a rescue cage at the top for lifting firefighters or evacuating people.
At present, Mumbai's highest-reaching turntable ladder is 91 metres tall, able to scale 28-30 storey buildings.
