Major blaze at electronics goods showroom building in Mumbai; NDRF called in for firefighting ops

Mumbai: A major fire broke out in a building housing an electronics goods showroom in the suburban Bandra area in the early hours of Tuesday, with the NDRF also being called in for firefighting operations, officials said. There were no immediate reports of any injuries in the blaze, they said. "Following a request from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was mobilised and reached the spot at 7.50 am," a civic spokesperson said. He said while no injuries have been reported at the site, the building adjacent to the affected structure was vacated as a precautionary measure.

Officials said the fire, classified as Level IV (major), broke out around 4.10 am in a multistorey building on Linking Road in Bandra (west). A civic official said the blaze was initially confined to the building's basement, but it later spread to the upper floors of the building, which were engulfed in smoke. Thick black smoke billowing from the building was visible from afar. Photographs and videos of the blaze have surfaced on social media. Around 6.25 am, the fire brigade classified the blaze as Level IV, indicating that it was a major fire warranting extensive firefighting operation, the civic official said. According to officials, Mumbai Fire Brigade chief Ravindra Ambulgekar and other senior officers of the fire brigade have rushed to the spot, and attempts are underway to douse the blaze. At least 13 fire engines and other firefighting vehicles are at the spot, the civic official added. He said other agencies have also been mobilised, and the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. This is the second major early-morning blaze in the metropolis in two days. On Sunday, a major fire broke out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the Ballard Estate area.