The toll in a fire at a nine-storey commercial building in Mumbai’s Goregaon area rose to five on Tuesday. The body of a 22-year-old labourer, who had been missing since the fire broke out on Sunday, was found on the seventh floor inside a closed electric panel, the Hindustan Times reported authorities as saying.
Nine workers were injured in the incident. Search operations are on since Sunday afternoon, when the fire broke out. But the fire officials do not expect to find any more bodies.
On Monday, the Mumbai Police arrested three people in connection with the incident. The police said initial investigations showed that a short circuit in an electric duct may have caused the fire. The four people who died before Tuesday were contractual workers.
Eight fire engines, six tankers and senior fire brigade officials were sent to control the blaze on Sunday.
The police have booked an employee of Pratham Enterprises, and two labour contractors under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including culpable homicide, Senior Inspector (Goregaon) Dhanaji Nalawade said, according to PTI.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said it will inspect the building. “We will have to check our records and carry out an inspection to see if there were any irregularities,” Assistant Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav said. “We are awaiting a report from the fire brigade.”
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