28 Rescued After Fire Breaks Out at Aayakar Bhavan in Churchgate

At least 28 people were rescued by the Mumbai Fire Brigade after a fire broke out in the basement of Aayakar Bhavan, a ground-plus-six-storey Income Tax office in Churchgate, on Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported in the incident.

The blaze was reported at the building on Maharshi Karve Road at around 2:01 pm. The fire, which generated dense smoke, spread across roughly 7,000 to 8,000 square feet of the basement area, affecting electrical wiring, installations, stored records, paper stock, scrap material, and wooden partitions.

Over eight fire engines were deployed to the site as firefighting operations continued through the afternoon. Twenty firefighters equipped with breathing apparatus entered the smoke-filled premises and used multiple hose lines to control the fire. Fire personnel also used smoke extractors and broke window panes to improve ventilation throughout the structure.

The building accommodates hundreds of employees and visitors daily. While the building's alarm system and colleagues alerted staff in time to evacuate the upper floors, heavy smoke quickly filled the escape routes during the lunchtime incident. Because the lifts were out of service, the staircase remained the only viable path for evacuation, posing challenges for people with breathing difficulties.

Firefighters safely guided 15 people down from the first three floors through the staircase. Another five to six people were brought down from the first floor using an Angus ladder, while eight people stranded on the terrace were rescued using a turntable ladder.

Police, Income Tax officials, and security personnel subsequently searched the building to ensure no employees remained missing or injured inside. Traffic was halted on the road outside Churchgate railway station, opposite Cement House, to facilitate emergency operations.

Fire officials stated that the exact cause of the fire will be determined following a detailed investigation.