A major fire broke out at the City Centre mall in south Mumbai on Thursday night. According to a fire brigade official, the blaze at the mall erupted at around 8:53 pm yesterday even when almost 200-300 people were present inside the premises.
At least 20 fire engines and seven jetties were engaged in the operation to douse the flames on the ground plus four-storey mall, the official said. According to reports, a fireman received burn injuries during the operation and was immediately rushed to Mumbai's JJ Hospital for medical treatment.
The fire was initially categorized as level 1 (minor) but was upgraded to level-3 (major) at around 10.45 pm when flames spread to other parts of the complex. It was later upgraded to level-5 and the Mumbai fire brigade has declared this brigade call. This means that help has been sought from HPCL, BPCL, BPT. So far, there is no news of anyone being trapped inside the mall, reported Zee News.
A few buildings near the mall are also reported to have been evacuated by fire brigade officials as part of safety measures. Meanwhile, all 200-300 people were rescued safely by fire brigade officials. Meanwhile, the fire was not under control when the last report came, the report said.
According to fire brigade officials, the exact cause of the fire was not yet known. Locals said that the mall mainly houses shops selling mobile phone accessories.
It was reportedly the second fire in the city on Thursday. Earlier in the day, a fire broke out in a garment factory in Kurla West. It was doused after more than two hours of effort.