Despite 41 fire engines rushing to the spot, firemen struggled for several hours. Adarsh docs destroyed.
Mumbai: Three people died and 15 wounded in a fire that fumed the top four floors of the eight-storey Maharashtra Mantralaya building on Thursday. Despite 41 fire engines rushing to the spot, firemen struggled for several hours.
The fire that began at 2.35 in the afternoon has reportedly destroyed thousands of sensitive documents, computer files and records, many pertaining to land use, de-reservation and the critical Adarsh society scam.
The wounded were rushed to JJ, GT and St George hospitals, with four being released after treatment.
A combing operation by the fire brigade late in the evening found two bodies, completely charred on the sixth floor outside deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's chamber. Another was found inside the building later, but its identity could not be established. BMC officials said two of the dead were Umesh Potekar and Mahesh Gughale, businessmen from Baramati. Officials said Pawar had been informed that they were trapped on the sixth floor. "The deputy CM tried to speak to them but no contact was possible after some time," a Mantralaya official said.
Maharashtra Mantralaya has 2,500 to 3,000 employees and about 3,000 daily visitors. Apart from Ajit Pawar, home minister R R Patil, minister of state for home Satej Patil, EGS minister Nitin Raut and chief secretary Jayantkumar Banthia were among those in the building when disaster struck. Many politicians and bureaucrats escaped using a fire ladder from the top floors.
There are speculation and conspiracy theories spread as rapidly as the fire, hinting at possible disruption to destroy evidences of some scams like the Adarsh Society documents or the controversial redevelopment of Mantralaya by a private developer.