Around 50 residents and several pets were rescued after a major fire broke out at the 17-storey Raheja Carlyle building in the Raheja Garden complex at Wagle Estate in Thane on Sunday evening. No casualties were reported, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, after firefighters and disaster response teams worked for several hours to evacuate people trapped by smoke and flames.
According to information provided by the Thane Municipal Corporation’s Regional Disaster Management Cell, the fire began in the building’s electrical duct and corridors. The Thane Fire Brigade received an alert at 8.31 pm on November 8, with the blaze affecting areas between the seventh and 14th floors. The fire spread from the eighth floor towards the upper levels as smoke entered residential areas.
Shinde said the fire brigade and Tactical Disaster Response team rescued 50 people while risking their own lives. Residents were moved to designated refuge areas and the terrace as smoke and flames spread outside their homes. Responders remained in communication with residents and guided them towards safer locations, he said.
The operation involved two Bronto fire vehicles, two fire engines, one water tanker and two jumbo water tankers. The Mumbai Fire Brigade also sent a hydraulic platform and a fire engine to assist the Thane teams. Regional Disaster Management Cell personnel, disaster response teams, ambulances and police officers were deployed at the site.
With the lifts considered unsafe because of the smoke, firefighters used ladders and stretchers to evacuate residents. Dogs and cats were also rescued. Some residents experienced breathing difficulties after inhaling smoke, received first aid and were discharged, according to the civic disaster management cell.
Shinde, Thane MP Naresh Mhaske and MLA Ravindra Phatak visited the site during the rescue operation and interacted with residents stranded on the upper floors. Other senior officials and public representatives, including Thane Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saurabh Rao, were also present as the operation continued.
The fire was completely extinguished at around 2.30 am on Monday, after which the building’s main entrances were cordoned off as a precaution. The blaze damaged the electrical duct, corridors, doors of several flats, electrical wiring and household materials. The extent of the damage was being assessed.
The administration has begun an investigation into the cause of the fire. Officials were examining whether fireworks or an electrical short circuit triggered the blaze, but no cause had been confirmed at the time of reporting.
