16 July,2026 07:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika Gondhalekar
Narendra Bachhav and his colleagues extinguish the blaze
After receiving hundreds of calls related to tree collapses over the past few days, the Mumbai Fire Brigade was alerted by South Mumbai-bound motorist Sudhir Nair on Wednesday afternoon that a fire had broken out in his car in the Coastal Road tunnel.
"The control room immediately notified the Worli, Gowalia Tank, and Nariman Point fire stations and dispatched fire engines to the spot," said SD Sawant, deputy chief fire officer. The Worli and Gowalia Tank personnel couldn't reach the spot before their Nariman Point counterparts, as they got stuck in a traffic snarl caused by panicked motorists, who abandoned their vehicles in the middle of the tunnel.
The Maruti Suzuki Ignis in which a fire broke out inside the Coastal Road tunnel on Wednesday afternoon. PICS/By SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Narendra Bachhav, station in-charge of Nariman Point fire station, the first fire officer to reach the vehicle, said the fire engine could not enter the tunnel from the Chowpatty end as traffic had come to a standstill. "We, therefore, decided to approach the spot from the Nariman Point side, even though it meant moving against the flow of traffic. Every minute mattered because a vehicle fire inside a tunnel can quickly create panic due to the accumulation of smoke," said Bachhav.
Narendra Bachhav
The situation was relatively under control when the officers and engines reached the burning vehicle. "The fire had remained confined to the car, which, fortunately, was not an EV [electric vehicle]. That made firefighting comparatively straightforward, as we did not have to deal with the risks associated with EV battery fires. We quickly brought the blaze under control and ensured there were no flare-ups before declaring the area safe," Bachhav said.
Flames erupt from a car after it caught fire inside the tunnel of the Coastal Road on Wednesday. PIC/PTI
A total of three fire engines, one jumbo tanker, a breathing apparatus (BA) van and one quick response vehicle (QRV) were deployed. "The department has provided all the necessary firefighting systems throughout the tunnel as prescribed by the National Fire Protection Association. Now, the tunnel's engineers must clarify why these systems did not get activated," said Sawant.
Sudhir Nair
âThe person driving his car in the lane next to us said that there was smoke coming out from the back of our vehicle. So, our driver immediately stopped the car on the side, and we all alighted. We are lucky to be alive. We are not in a state to say anything more.'
Deputy Chief Fire Officer SD Sawant. FILE PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
According to Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar, the biggest mistake on the part of commuters was abandoning their vehicles inside the tunnel and running out. This caused a traffic jam. Since the drivers were not reachable, their vehicles couldn't be moved, obstructing fire engines. "Extreme lack of civic and common sense led to a delay in reaching the spot," he said.
>> Never panic; help will reach you for sure
>> Ensure you make space for firefighting vehicles to reach the spot. People could have started reversing their cars instead of abandoning them. This would have freed the road for emergency vehicles
>> Try to provide first aid, while keeping yourself safe, till firefighters arrive
(According to Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar)
After entering the tunnel, Bachhav's team faced poor visibility due to dense smoke. "At one point, we had to get down from the fire engine with torches in our hands and proceed, guiding the driver for a short distance, so the vehicle could move safely through the smoke. Getting inside the tunnel itself turned out to be the toughest part of the operation," Bachhav said.
