23 September,2026 10:54 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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A fire broke out in the meter box room of a three-storey residential building in Maharashtra's Thane city shortly after midnight on Wednesday, destroying 14 meters, officials said.
No person was injured in the incident, which occurred at Patrakar Society in the Kopri area, they said.
The blaze was reported at 12.20 am, following which the fire brigade, emergency response personnel and the electricity supply company officials rushed to the spot, Regional Disaster Management Cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.
"The fire broke out inside the ground-floor meter box room of the three-storey Patrakar Society. A total of 14 electricity meters were completely gutted," he said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 1 am and prevented it from spreading to the upper residential floors.
A short circuit was suspected to have caused the fire, the official said, adding that the exact cause was under investigation.
In a separate incident, a fire broke out in a slum in Kalwa (West) following a gas cylinder explosion, destroying five houses, civic officials said on September 18.
No casualties were reported as all the houses were unoccupied at the time of the incident, said Yasin Tadvi, Chief of the Regional Disaster Management Cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation.
The incident occurred in a cluster of makeshift huts located behind Sahayog Society, adjacent to the Kharegaon bridge, he said.
The control room received a call regarding the fire at 9:23 AM on September 18, according to Tadvi.
The fire was brought under control within an hour. Further probe was on.
Meanwhile, fourteen motorcycles were gutted in a fire at a parking lot of a residential building in Bhiwandi in Thane district, though no one was hurt in the incident, a civic official said on September 17.
The blaze was reported from Omar Apartments in Khandupada on September 16, he added.
"No one was hurt in the fire. However, 14 motorcycles were gutted. Firefighters from Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation brought the blaze under control. As per initial probe, the fire may have started due to a short circuit in the electric meter box," the official said.
Meanwhile, residents, led by former municipal councillor Mahim Shegi, accused the private firm that supplies electricity to the area of technical negligence and also claimed the fire brigade arrived late.
A case has been registered at Shanti Nagar police station and further probe is underway, the official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
