Two Dead, Six Injured in Vile Parle West High-Rise Fire

Two people, including a two-and-a-half-year-old child, died and six others were injured after a major fire broke out on the 11th floor of Shanta Bhavan, a residential high-rise on Baptista Road in Vile Parle West, late Tuesday night. The blaze started around 10 pm and required nearly three hours of firefighting operations before it was completely extinguished.

The deceased were identified as two-and-a-half-year-old Abir and 23-year-old Ankita, both of whom were declared dead on arrival at the hospital. Among the six injured individuals, Parth, 32, and Hiren, 64, were reported to be in stable condition following medical admission. Two other residents, identified as 33-year-old Yashasvi and Abhishek, received medical treatment and were subsequently discharged.

Two firefighters who participated in the rescue efforts were also among the injured. Fireman Manoj Sonawane, aged 30, and Shivam Dwivedi, aged 29, were taken to Cooper Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries and later discharged.

The emergency response began shortly after the fire was reported at approximately 10 pm. The Mumbai Fire Brigade declared a Level-I fire at 10.08 pm as personnel rushed to the scene. The call was escalated to a Level-II fire at 10.16 pm due to the severity of the blaze inside the ground-plus-12-storey building located near St Xavier School. Multiple agencies, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police, representatives from an electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services, and BMC ward staff, were mobilised to assist in rescue and firefighting operations.

According to officials from the fire department, the blaze was confined to an area of approximately 4,000 square feet spanning flats 1101 and 1102 on the 11th floor. The flames damaged electrical wiring, electrical installations, an air conditioning unit, household articles, a sofa, a bed, a false ceiling, and various kitchen utensils.

Rescuers evacuated the affected individuals from the building and shifted them to nearby hospitals for emergency care. Firefighters successfully brought the flames under control and fully extinguished the fire around 1 am. Officials stated that a detailed investigation will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.