Two women dead in fire at five-storey building

Two women, both senior citizens, died in a major fire that broke out at a five-storey building in south Mumbai Thursday night, police said.

The fire broke out at Punjab Mahal building in Bori Mohalla area around 10.30 pm Thursday, an official said.

Fire brigade rushed 12 fire-fighting vehicles to the spot and the building was evacuated, he said.

Four persons, trapped on the fourth floor, were rescued by fire brigade personnel. But two women, Farida Master (60) and Naphisa Geetam (60), were found lying unconscious.

Both were rushed to hospital but were declared dead before arrival, the official said.

Station fire officer Chandrashekhar Gupta (36), firemen Pundalik Mane (27) and Ramesh Sagar (35) and 11 residents of the building were treated at hospital for suffocation, he added.

The cause of the fire was being ascertained, he said.