Mumbai: Quick Response Prevents Damage in Fort Area Hotel Fire

A major fire broke out at a hotel in south Mumbai shortly after midnight on Sunday, officials said. No injuries were reported in the incident, they confirmed. According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, a Level-1 fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday at a hotel in South Mumbai’s Fort area, triggering a swift emergency response. The incident was reported at around 12:57 am at Hotel Babel on Walchand Hirachand Road, opposite the General Post Office (GPO).

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) declared it a Level-1 fire at 12:58 am, indicating a minor but controlled blaze. According to officials, the fire was initially confined to the first and second floors of the ground-plus-two-storey hotel building. It later spread across an area of approximately 2,000 square feet, including parts of the terrace.

The blaze damaged electrical wiring, installations, wooden furniture, mattresses, and scrap materials within the premises. Firefighting operations were carried out promptly by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, with support from local police, BEST electricity personnel, 108 ambulance services, and BMC ward staff. Multiple fire engines were deployed to the site to control the situation and prevent further spread.

Officials confirmed that the fire was brought under control and completely extinguished by 2:25 am. No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and further investigation is underway to determine what triggered the blaze.

Meanwhile, at least 17 persons were killed and 18 others injured in a blast at an explosives manufacturing factory in Maharashtra's Nagpur district on Sunday morning, police said. The blast took place at the SBL Energy Limited factory, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil, a senior police official stated. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the site to carry out the rescue operations. Representatives of SBL Energy Limited told PTI that the incident occurred at the company's detonator packing unit between 7 am and 7.15 am. Rescue operations were underway, a company official said, adding that they will release a statement soon.