Fire traps residents on 11th floor of Vile Parle high-rise; 2 killed, 4 injured

A horrific fire engulfed a high-rise residential building on the 11th floor of Baptista Road in Vile Parle, Mumbai, resulting in two deaths and four injuries. The victims, identified as 23-year-old Ankita and her 2.5-year-old infant, Abir, succumbed to their injuries at Nanavati Hospital. The other casualties, Parth (32), Hiren (64), Yashasvi, and Abhishek, are currently receiving treatment and are in stable condition.

The fire, which erupted around 10:08 pm, initially broke out on the 11th floor before rapidly spreading. The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) responded and classified the fire as level 2 by 10:16 pm. Despite the efforts of the MFB, residents on the 11th floor became trapped and were ultimately rescued and extricated by the fire officials.

The rescue operation was challenging due to the thick smoke engulfing the entire building and corridor, making it difficult for the emergency responders to navigate. The blaze was extinguished around midnight after nearly two hours of intense firefighting operations, after which a cooling operation was initiated.

The official cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the tragic incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by high-rise fires in densely populated urban areas.