All trapped People rescued in Mumbai Mantralaya  Fire

Fire in Mumbai MantralayaMajor Fire at Maharashtra Mantralaya  could not be controlled till the point of writing this, but all people trapped inside the Fire have been rescued. A total of 16 people have suffered from injury.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chauhan, whose office was gutted, looked sombre as he entered the complex with the building still on fire in the evening. He avoided journalists.

Officials said 16 people had suffered varying injuries, with six officials warded in hospitals.

But Journalists and Employees of Secretariat were furious over such a fire in building of  such a high security. There were frightening scenes as employees, including women, in the higher floors frantically tried to get out. Many crowded balconies or perched on window sills and on ledges outside the windows. All of them were taken down by the Mumbai Fire Service using lift ladders.

“I climbed down a water pipe to escape the flames,” said a breathless man who said that others made similar attempts to escape by clutching to thick electricity cables and drainage pipes.

But more than four hours after the fire first broke out on the floor four at 2.15 p.m., two dozen fire tenders continued to fight the flames.

Thick dark clouds of smoke billowed from the windows, darkening the Mumbai sky.

Authorities said a strong breeze from the sea helped the fire to spread to higher floors and to other sections of the vast building.

Officials admitted a sea of official documents had been destroyed.  Earlier, a man who escaped claimed that some 50 people were trapped in the building, spreading panic.

Rescue workers appealed to those trapped to get to the roof for rescue by navy helicopters. Several Marine Commandos joined the rescue operations.

As many as 30 fire tenders battled the blaze and rigorous efforts were made to douse the fire. Navy helicopters and anti-terrorist unit Force One were also rushed for the rescue operations. Around 3000 people were evacuated from the building.

Throughout the fire, more and more fire engines with their sirens wailing raced to the burning Mantralaya from other parts of the city.

The landmark building, in the heart of South Mumbai, employs some 1,500 men and women. Every day it gets an equal number of visitors.

Thousands of officials at Mantralaya, which houses the state Secretariat, were seen standing outside as fire fighters battled the blaze, which was suspected to have been caused by a short-circuit.

State Forest Minister Patang Rao said, “I am confident that all the important files will be safe and intact.”