A 50-year-old commercial cum residential building in Kalbadevi was engulfed in flames after a loud explosion, followed by a major fire, which broke out at 4.30 pm on Saturday. In just half an hour, the fire had destroyed all five floors of the building. The fire struck the ground floor of Gokul Niwas building first, and then slowly engulfed all five floors. Two fire fighters lost their lives.

What is vital is to note the agonising difficulty fire engines faced in reaching the site. The lane in which the building stands is very narrow and what compounded problems was the illegal parking of vehicles, delaying the fire operation.
The biggest problem, of course, is access to buildings, so it is imperative that the minute people see a fire, they make some effort to move their cars and two-wheelers out of the way. The lanes, at least, need to be kept clear of illegal parking. Take fire drills seriously, and do not think that this can never happen to you.