Fire breaks out in slum colony in Ambernath; 35 huts gutted

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At least 35 huts were destroyed when a fire broke out in a slum colony in Thane district on Monday morning. The incident occurred in the Circus Ground area in Ambernath around 10 am.

However, no casualties were reported in the incident, said Yasin Tadvi, chief of the civic disaster management cell. However, the fire gutted 35 huts in the slum, but the residents were evacuated safely, he said, reported PTI.

The blaze was put out in an hour, and the cooling operations are underway. The cause for the blaze is yet to be ascertained, he said.

In another fire incident in Thane, a state transport bus caught a massive fire. Nearly 45 passengers travelling in the bus had a narrow escape after nearly half of the the vehicle was engulfed in the blaze. The incident took place on Sunday.

As per PTI report, the incident took place at 8.18 am near Vitawa bridge close to Kalwa police station, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus carrying 40-45 passengers was on way from from Khopat bus depot to Pali in neighbouring Raigad district when its engine suddenly burst into flames, he said.

A police constable promptly alerted the disaster management cell. Local fireman and the disaster management cell team rushed to the spot and all the passengers were safely evacuated from the bus. No one was injured, the official said.

The blaze was doused by 8.28 am, he said. The bus was partly damaged, the official said, adding that a probe was on into the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, in an unfortunate incident, two people died while another person was injured in a wall collapse incident near Film City in suburban Goregaon, Mumbai on Saturday evening, a civic official said. The incident took place near gate number 2 of Film City on Aarey Colony Road, reported PTI.

A wall, around 60 feet long and 20 feet tall, collapsed, trapping at least three men underneath. They were rescued before a Fire Brigade team arrived on the spot, however, two of them were declared dead by the doctor accompanying the 108 ambulance.

(With PTI inputs)