150 saved from Thane building inferno

Firefighters managed to rescue around 150 people trapped on the terrace of a factory-cum-residential complex in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town where a major fire broke out on Tuesday morning, officials said.

According to police in Thane, soon after the blaze was noticed around 6.30 a.m. on the ground floor which housed a powerloom, the residents, many caught in their sleep, in a bid to escape the leaping flames, rushed to the terrace of the four-storeyed Rahat Manzil building in Kasimpura.

Some panicky residents tried to jump down from the first floor to save themselves and at least two people sustained injuries in their attempt but there are no fatalities.

The city fire brigade and fire-tenders from neighbouring Thane and Kalyan rushed to the scene of the tragedy and helped in rescuing the trapped victims.

After battling the blaze for around five hours, it was finally brought under control and simultaneously all the residents were also rescued.

At least seven people were admitted to various hospitals for treatment of injuries, stress or suffocation in the incident, even as cooling operations continued.