Fire breaks out at Aayakar Bhavan basement in Churchgate, 20 fire tenders deployed

Thick smoke billows from Aayakar Bhavan as firefighting operations continue

A fire broke out in the basement of Aayakar Bhavan, the Income Tax office at Churchgate, on Monday afternoon. The Mumbai Fire Brigade was alerted at 2.01 pm. An official told mid-day, "At least four fire engines and several other firefighting vehicles were deployed as efforts continued to bring the blaze under control. Around 20 fire tenders were engaged in firefighting operations at the site." No injuries have been reported so far.

Lucky escape

Firefighters rescue employees following the basement blaze on Monday. Pics/Ashish Raje

For IT inspector Balu Kale, a post-lunch trip to buy a watermelon across the road likely saved him from a severe asthma attack. Moments after stepping out, he spotted thick, black smoke pouring from his office building. His first instinct was to rush back and check what had happened.

Inspector recalls

"I had stepped out just to buy a watermelon. Suddenly, I saw thick, black smoke coming from the side of my office building. I immediately tried to go back to the office and realised that my office had caught fire. I suffer from asthma and usually carry an inhaler with me. But on this particular day, I had left it behind in my bag at the office. Had I been inside at that time, I would have inhaled a significant amount of smoke. Considering that I have asthma, my condition could have become quite serious. It could have triggered my asthma and made it difficult for me to breathe. Now I will always keep it in the pocket of my pants."

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Security staff

The women security staff who were on duty near the basement of the Income Tax office recalled the horrific moments when they realised something was seriously wrong. They said their training, presence of mind and the quick response of the fire brigade helped prevent the situation from turning more dangerous.

Guard Speak

Sunita Ahire, one of the women security guards
‘We were very scared when we saw the smoke coming from the basement. We did not know what was happening. But our training helped us stay calm. We knew that we had to alert everyone and move away from the danger zone.'

Another security guard,

‘The smoke spread quickly, and the situation became terrifying. We could hear people panicking. Everyone was trying to understand what had happened. Almost 1800 people work in this building. The training we have received helped us react. The fire brigade also reached fast and took control of the situation.'