Fire breaks out in high-rise; 15 suffer from suffocation

As many as 15 residents of a high -rise suffered from suffocation and were hospitalised after a fire broke out in their building here in the wee hours of Friday, a fire brigade official said.

The blaze erupted on the first floor of the 21-storey building at Ram Nagar in suburban Wadala (E), he said.

"The incident was reported to our control room at 3.33 am on Friday. A fire fighting team was rushed to the spot and the flames were extinguished within 25 minutes," the official added.

"However, 15 people, including nine women, suffered from suffocation as they had inhaled smoke. All have been admitted in KEM Hospital," he said.

Their condition was stable, said Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of KEM Hospital Dr Shrikant.

The cause of the fire was not yet known, the official said.