Mumbai: Recounting Bandra West fire, residents say, 'Blaze was so violent that it left us speechless'

Firefighters douse the blaze on the terrace of the Atlantic building in Bandra West on Wednesday night. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE

A 64-year-old man lost his life after a fire broke out on the seventh floor of the Atlantic building on Sherly Rajan Road in Bandra West on Wednesday night. The deceased, Azim Barodawala, who resided on the floor where the fire had its origin, was declared brought dead at Bhabha hospital.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) control room received calls from locals reporting the fire at 9.12 pm, after which four fire engines were rushed to the scene. A statement issued by the authorities late at night stated, "Fire is confined to electric wiring, electric installations, household articles, etc, on the seventh floor." The blaze was extinguished around midnight.

Mary Dolores Gonzales, who has been residing near the Atlantic building for 47 years

While the investigation to determine the cause of the fire is ongoing, a Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) officer told mid-day that there were many books in the house where the fire started, which fuelled the already intense fire.

‘The sight was terrible'

Mary Dolores Gonzales, 79, who has been living near the Atlantic for the last 47 years, said, "It was a very calm night, till it wasn't. I was in my house getting ready for bed, and suddenly, my daughter, who lives in Bahrain, called me and told me about the fire. She urged us to go out of our home as a safety measure. Just then, my husband also said we should go outside. Once we were out, the sight in front of us was terrible. The fire was so violent that it left us speechless."

‘We would meet deceased daily'

Faima Shaik, another Sherly Rajan Road resident. PICS/MADHULIKA RAM KAVATTUR

Gonzales, along with the others who had been evacuated from surrounding buildings by the MFB, witnessed the firefighting operation unfold. "We were hoping and praying that no one got injured badly, but we sadly got the news of Barodawala's demise. We used to meet him every day during our morning walks. He would see me coming from a distance and would raise both his hands to wave and greet me while saying that he was doing well. He had just had health complications a year or so ago, and has started taking walks every day to get back in shape. It is very sad. All I can think of is his wife and son."

‘We were devastated'

Faima Shaik, who stays behind the Atlantic, said, "After hearing the sound of glass shattering, we rushed out of our houses. On seeing the blaze, locals rushed to help those stuck in the building. Rescuers went up to the fifth floor to get everyone out, and Barodawala's wife was helped out of her seventh-floor flat. We had hoped he would survive, but we were devastated to learn that he had passed away."

Shaik has also seen Barodawala on his daily walks. "He would greet us every time he saw us. He was a very kind soul," she said. Residents speculated that Barodawala may have been trapped because he was in the washroom when the fire broke out, and by the time he tried coming out, the house had been filled with smoke, making it difficult for him to see.

Fire brigade personnel injured

Two fire brigade officers had to be taken to Bhabha hospital after sustaining injuries in the line of duty. One of them, Navnath Mohan Gite, 34, has been declared stable and is under observation in the male ward, while the other, Shivshankar Bharat Puri, 32, has been admitted to the ICU as an object had fallen on his leg when the fire was being brought under control.

Input by Ritika Gondhalekar