Fire Burns Metro House In Mumbai

Mumbai: One of the most popular buildings in Colaba Causeway, Metro House, caught fire on Thursday afternoon, which was not in control even six hours after it started. Fire officials stated that short circuit was one of the likely causes of the fire that started around 3:45PM and began spreading quickly in the building which is strikes out due to its white facade.

With some prominent eateries like Cafe Mondegar and McDonalds and shops like Metro Shoes, Metro House is popular with locals and tourists alike who often come to shop there.

“In the afternoon, when we were heading to our police station in Cuffe Parade, one of our persons saw smoke coming out of the second floor. The moment we saw, we informed the main control room,” said Adhinath Ahire, a police inspector.

The fire brigade came within ten minutes of being informed, said one of the persons who works in the building. “However, initially they did not have much water to douse it,” he added. Fire officials suspect that it started on the second floor of the B wing that houses a security agency. “It probably started due to short circuit and spread quickly because the flooring and staircase are all of wood,” said a fireman. By evening, there were 20 fire brigades and 150 policemen on the spot.

The fire started in the second floor of the B wing and soon spread to the third floor before moving down to the first floor. It later spread to the second floor of the C wing, then to the A wing and continued to spread in the back side of the building. Firemen were cutting trees near the building to avoid spread of fire.

A number of people lost belongings as the premises were completely shut down.