Sixteen people were injured as a major fire raged in the Maharashtra Mantralaya Thursday, with officials saying that everyone had been rescued from the building.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the massive fire that gutted most of the top four floors of the Mantralaya or the state secretariat was now under control. He also ordered a probe by the Crime Branch into the incident.
Chavan, who held an emergency meeting in evening, discussed the situation with other ministers and planned alternative arrangements till the situation was normal at the state government's administrative headquarters.
"An inquiry has been ordered. Crime Branch will start inquiry into the matter," Chavan told reporters after the meeting.
Besides Chavan, the meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, top ministers, bureaucrats, police and civic officials, at multi-storied New Administrative Building, which is opposite the seven-storied Mantralaya.
Earlier, Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Pravin Pardeshi had said that 65 people trapped on the fifth and sixth floor have been evacuated by the fire-fighters.
"There are no more people inside. Fire fighters are combing the place again to check if anyone has been trapped inside," he said.
Maharashtra Chief Secretary J.K. Banthia said the dozens who had been trapped in the seven-floor building had been taken out. “There are no more people inside,” he told the media.
But the press conference also attended by some ministers turned stormy after journalists and a section of secretariat employees demanded to know how such an inferno could spread so fast in a high security complex.
Flames leapt out of most parts of the fourth floor of the Mantralaya and 30 fire tenders were rushed to battle the blaze. The floor houses offices of several state ministers.
The fire broke out at NCP minister Babanrao Pachpute's office, the sources said.Maharashtra Chief Secretary has ordered immediate evacuation of the entire building.
The fire which broke out on the fourth floor has now speard to the fifth and the sixth floor. The office of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister have also been affected.
Maharastra's elite commando squad Force One and city police's Quick Response Team arrived at the spot amid reports that some people were still trapped on the terrace of the Mantralaya.
Maharastra CM Prithviraj Chavan rushed to monitor rescue operations and said the prime concern was to save people and the issue of which file was destroyed in the fire will be considered later.
A few risked their lives and slid down several floors clutching water and drainage pipes.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's office was also on fire.
Rescue workers frantically appealed to those trapped in the Mantralaya to get to the roof for rescue by navy helicopters.
Several Marine Commandos joined the rescue operations, being overseen by the Mumbai Fire Service and Mumbai Police.
More and more fire engines with their sirens wailing continued to rush to the burning Mantralaya from other parts of the city.
"I climbed down a water pipe to escape the flames," said a breathless man who later said that many others had made similar attempts to escape with the help of thick electricity cables and drainage pipes.
A large number of people were evacuated after the fire broke out. However, many were trapped in some rooms and offices of the higher floors, an official said.
Most of the people were trapped on the 5th and 6th floors and are awaiting to be evacuated.
The floor on which the fire broke out reportedly had files of the Adarsh building scam stacked, reports NDTV.
Fire-fighters are making efforts to contain the fire and keep it from reaching the sixth floor that has the Maharashtra chief minister's office.
The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained.
The landmark Mantralaya building is located in the heart of South Mumbai, close to the Mumbai High Court.
It houses some 1,500 employees and every day gets an equal number of visitors.
Hundreds were seen outside the building watching the flames and smoke. Most employees who escaped were from the lower floors.
Also watching the inferno were the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the massive fire that gutted most of the top four floors of the Mantralaya or the state secretariat was now under control. He also ordered a probe by the Crime Branch into the incident.
Chavan, who held an emergency meeting in evening, discussed the situation with other ministers and planned alternative arrangements till the situation was normal at the state government's administrative headquarters.
"An inquiry has been ordered. Crime Branch will start inquiry into the matter," Chavan told reporters after the meeting.
Besides Chavan, the meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, top ministers, bureaucrats, police and civic officials, at multi-storied New Administrative Building, which is opposite the seven-storied Mantralaya.
Earlier, Relief and Rehabilitation Secretary Pravin Pardeshi had said that 65 people trapped on the fifth and sixth floor have been evacuated by the fire-fighters.
"There are no more people inside. Fire fighters are combing the place again to check if anyone has been trapped inside," he said.
Maharashtra Chief Secretary J.K. Banthia said the dozens who had been trapped in the seven-floor building had been taken out. “There are no more people inside,” he told the media.
But the press conference also attended by some ministers turned stormy after journalists and a section of secretariat employees demanded to know how such an inferno could spread so fast in a high security complex.
Flames leapt out of most parts of the fourth floor of the Mantralaya and 30 fire tenders were rushed to battle the blaze. The floor houses offices of several state ministers.
The fire broke out at NCP minister Babanrao Pachpute's office, the sources said.Maharashtra Chief Secretary has ordered immediate evacuation of the entire building.
The fire which broke out on the fourth floor has now speard to the fifth and the sixth floor. The office of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister have also been affected.
Maharastra's elite commando squad Force One and city police's Quick Response Team arrived at the spot amid reports that some people were still trapped on the terrace of the Mantralaya.
Maharastra CM Prithviraj Chavan rushed to monitor rescue operations and said the prime concern was to save people and the issue of which file was destroyed in the fire will be considered later.
A few risked their lives and slid down several floors clutching water and drainage pipes.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's office was also on fire.
Rescue workers frantically appealed to those trapped in the Mantralaya to get to the roof for rescue by navy helicopters.
Several Marine Commandos joined the rescue operations, being overseen by the Mumbai Fire Service and Mumbai Police.
More and more fire engines with their sirens wailing continued to rush to the burning Mantralaya from other parts of the city.
"I climbed down a water pipe to escape the flames," said a breathless man who later said that many others had made similar attempts to escape with the help of thick electricity cables and drainage pipes.
A large number of people were evacuated after the fire broke out. However, many were trapped in some rooms and offices of the higher floors, an official said.
Most of the people were trapped on the 5th and 6th floors and are awaiting to be evacuated.
The floor on which the fire broke out reportedly had files of the Adarsh building scam stacked, reports NDTV.
Fire-fighters are making efforts to contain the fire and keep it from reaching the sixth floor that has the Maharashtra chief minister's office.
The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained.
The landmark Mantralaya building is located in the heart of South Mumbai, close to the Mumbai High Court.
It houses some 1,500 employees and every day gets an equal number of visitors.
Hundreds were seen outside the building watching the flames and smoke. Most employees who escaped were from the lower floors.
Also watching the inferno were the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
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