Fire Breaks Out in Basement of Income Tax Office at Churchgate in Mumbai

A fire broke out in the basement of Aayakar Bhavan, the seven-storey Income Tax Office building on Maharshi Karve Road in the Churchgate area of Mumbai, on Monday afternoon.

No injuries or casualties have been reported so far as emergency personnel continue rescue operations to evacuate people from the upper floors of the building.

According to preliminary information provided by officials, the Mumbai Fire Brigade received an emergency call alerting them to the blaze at 2:01 pm. The fire originated in the basement of the building, which accommodates offices of the Income Tax department.

Thick plumes of smoke quickly billowed from the basement, spreading upward and affecting several floors above. The commercial structure comprises a basement, a ground floor, and seven upper floors.

Following the alert, multiple emergency agencies rushed to the location to manage the situation. Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), local civic body officials, and ambulance services were dispatched to the site.

Firefighting operations commenced promptly, with officials deploying at least four fire engines alongside several other specialised firefighting vehicles to bring the flames under control.

To safely evacuate individuals trapped across the upper storeys of the smoke-affected structure, emergency responders deployed specialised rescue equipment, including a turntable ladder and an aerial ladder platform.

Authorities confirmed that the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. Firefighting and evacuation efforts were continuing at the site.