Fire in Mumbai building; eight injured

Eight people were injured after a major fire broke out in a commercial building in Kamathipura area of central Mumbai on Monday, a fire official said.

One of the injured persons was reported to be critical, he said.

The blaze erupted around 9.15 am in the ground plus one-storey 'China Building' located in Baghdadi compound of Kamathipura locality in Nagpada area, he said.

A portion of the building collapsed after the fire, the official said, adding some cracks were also noticed in the structure.

The building has various commercial units and some people were also residing in it.

Those residing in the premises were evacuated after the fire broke out, he said.

"Eight people were rushed to Nair Hospital. It was a level-3 (major) fire," he said, adding the blaze was almost brought under control and cooling operations will start later.

A 70-year-old man, who was among those injured, was reported to be in a critical condition, the official said.

The injured also included a two-year-old child.

Ten fire engines and 11 jumbo tankers were engaged in fire-fighting. Besides, a quick response van and ambulance were also at the site for assistance, the official said.

"The fire was confined to electric wiring, electric installations, household articles, a leather godown on first floor and a cloth godown on ground floor of the commercial structure spread in an area about 2,500 sq ft," chief fire officer P S Rahangdale said.