Eknath Shinde says 50 people rescued, no casualties after major fire at Thane residential complex

Around 50 people were rescued after a major fire broke out at the 17storey Raheja Carlyle residential building in the Raheja Garden complex in Wagle Estate Thane on Sunday evening November 8 The blaze spread across several floors leaving residents stranded inside the building There were no casualties Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde saidSpeaking about the incident Shinde said the fire broke out at around 8 pm and fire brigade personnel and the Tactical Disaster Response TDR team rescued 50 people by risking their livesldquoA major fire broke out in the Raheja building at 8 orsquoclock Our fire brigade personnel and TDR Tactical Disaster Response team acted with great courage they risked their own lives to rescue people successfully bringing 50 individuals to safety The area was filled with smoke and people were trapped by the firerdquo Shinde saidHe said residents were moved to the terrace and designated refuge areas as smoke and flames spread through the buildingldquoSince the fire and smoke were outside their homes the responders first moved them to the terrace and into designated refuge areas We were in constant communication with the residents providing them with directionsrdquo Shinde saidHe added that drones were used to monitor the situation and identify the locations of both the fire and residents who needed assistanceldquoWe also utilised drones which provided us with realtime situational awareness identifying where the fire was where people were located and determining the best places to move there There were zero casualtiesrdquo the Deputy CM saidFire spreads from eighth to 14th floorAccording to information provided by the Thane Municipal Corporationrsquos Regional Disaster Management Cell RDMC the fire broke out in the buildingrsquos electrical duct and corridors affecting areas between the seventh and 14th floors The fire brigade received an alert about the incident at 831 pm on November 8Fire brigade personnel and disaster response teams rushed to the residential complex and began firefighting and evacuation operations The blaze spread from the eighth floor towards the upper floors trapping several residents as smoke filled the buildingShinde MP Naresh Mhaske and MLA Ravindra Phatak reached the spot after receiving information about the incident They interacted with residents stranded on the upper floors and reassured them Residents were advised to move to designated refuge areas while others were asked to take shelter on the terraceAround 50 residents and pets rescuedAs thick smoke made the lifts unsafe to use firefighters relied on ladders and stretchers to evacuate residents The rescue operation continued for several hours with personnel working to reach people stranded on the affected floorsBy late Sunday night around 50 residents had been safely evacuated Pets including dogs and cats were also rescued during the operationAccording to the RDMC some residents experienced breathing difficulties after inhaling smoke They were provided first aid and discharged No casualties were reportedFire brigade deploys specialised equipmentThe firefighting operation involved two Bronto fire vehicles two fire engines one water tanker and two jumbo water tankers The Mumbai Fire Brigade also sent a hydraulic platform and a fire engine to assist the Thane teamsPersonnel from the RDMC and disaster response teams were deployed along with ambulances and police personnel The fire was completely extinguished at around 230 am on Monday As a precaution the buildingrsquos main entrances were cordoned offThe blaze caused extensive damage to the buildingrsquos electrical duct corridors doors of several flats electrical wiring and household materials The extent of the damage was being assessedCause of fire under investigationThe administration has initiated an investigation to establish what triggered the fire Officials are examining whether it was caused by fireworks or an electrical short circuit The exact cause had not been confirmed at the time of reportingResidents of Raheja Garden thanked Shinde firefighters and disaster response personnel for their efforts in bringing the situation under control and ensuring that everyone was evacuated safelySenior officials visit the siteSeveral public representatives and senior civic officials were present during the rescue operation Those who visited the site included MP Shrikant Shinde MLA Niranjan Davkhare Thane Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saurabh Rao Mayor Sharmila Pimpolkar corporators Vikas Repale Namrata BhosaleJadhav and Minal Sankhye along with senior civic officials fire brigade personnel and disaster response teams