Mumbai: Eleven residents, including two senior citizens and a 13-year-old boy, were injured after a fire broke out in the electricity meter cabin of a four-storey residential building in Jogeshwari (West) early Friday, with most suffering from smoke inhalation. Residents said they rushed to the terrace and alighted via the connected wing.The fire was reported at 5.59 am at B-14 Gomati building in Vaishali Nagar. According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the blaze was confined to the electrical wiring and installations in the common meter cabin located on the ground floor. TOI found that the front door of an apartment owned by Khalid Mirza was scorched. “Thankfully the blaze did not enter the house,” Mirza said.Officials said a suspected short circuit triggered the fire, which quickly filled the building with thick smoke, trapping several residents inside. As sparks flew and flames leaped, panicked occupants attempted to evacuate but many were slow to make their way out due to poor visibility caused by dense smoke.Fire brigade rescued the trapped residents before extinguishing the blaze at 6.18 am. While the fire was contained, smoke inhalation left several people in need of medical attention.Elderly couple Salim Noor Mohiddin Tadavi (75) and Mumtaz Salim Tadavi (67) who sustained burn injuries were shifted to Cooper Hospital for specialised treatment. The remaining nine were admitted to Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari and are stable. Those admitted are Yousuf Mitha (55), who suffered burn injuries, Sameera Mitha (55), Irfan Mitha (46), Bilkis Mitha (70), Mohammad Amir Mitha (80), Hoosa Mitha (40), Irfa Mitha (13), Mehragiz Batawala (64) and Ali Ashad Batawalkar (33).Fire brigade officials, civic authorities and the local police are investigating the cause of the fire. Preliminary information suggests a short circuit.TOI visited the building Friday evening and saw people arriving to retrieve some belongings. “Residents of B wing have left their homes as power supply is shut off,” said local store owner Zeeshan Khan. One flat owner Farooque Bhati said, “We rushed to the terrace in our night clothes to escape. There was no time to gather belongings or change.” Rashid Khan claimed fire brigade arrived after 40 minutes by which local youth had rescued stranded people. “Oshiwara police have summoned us to the station house for the punchnama instead of visiting the society,” claimed another neighbour.
