Late emergency call delayed rescue at Vile Parle fire, two lives lost: Fire officer

Shanta Bhuvan building on Baptista Road in Vile Parle West hours after the fire was doused on Wednesday. PIC/RITIKA GONDHALEKAR

The delay in alerting the authorities after the blaze broke out at Shanta Bhuvan proved fatal for two, according to AS Khanolkar, senior station officer, Andheri fire station, who stated that the first call reached them nearly an hour after the fire had started.

"The fire began around 9 pm, but we received the first call only around 10 pm. What is more concerning is that the call did not come from the residents or the watchman of the building. They did not even know the basic fire emergency number, 101. Someone from a neighbouring building eventually called us," Khanolkar said.

After verifying the information, the fire brigade team reached the building at around 10.30 pm. "By the time we reached, the entire floor was almost charred. Thick smoke had engulfed the building and there was zero visibility, which made it extremely difficult for us to navigate and carry out the rescue. That one-hour delay claimed two lives unnecessarily," he said.

Power issue

The officer also raised concerns over the complete power shutdown by employees of Adani Electricity. According to him, the shutdown affected the building's internal sprinkler system. "The employees should have consulted us before cutting off the power supply, as we could have guided them on how to ensure that the sprinkler system continued receiving electricity," Khanolkar said.

Door troubles

According to Khanolkar the rescue operation at Vile Parle on Tuesday was further complicated after a neighbouring family fled their home in panic without shutting the door. "The Agarwal family, neighbours of the Batavias, came out in fear and forgot to close their door. Because of this, the fire spread to their house as well. There was fire on either side, and our team had to find a way through the flames and intense heat. This made the rescue operation even more difficult," he said.

Important lessons

Khanolkar said two basic mistakes significantly affected the emergency response. "The lack of basic knowledge about immediately calling 101 and the family leaving their door open were the two biggest mistakes on the part of the residents. People must keep these things in mind. In a fire, every minute counts. Also, people must remember to open windows and all possible sources of ventilation during a fire. Never cover yourselves or shut yourselves inside closed places as this leads to smoke inhalation and suffocation," he said.

[popcorn number="9 pm" desc="Approximate time fire broke out on Tuesday" class="Default"]