Six killed in Mahim slum blaze

At least six people were killed and seven injured in a fire that gutted over 50 hutments in Mumbai's Mahim area early today, officials said.

According to the BMC Disaster Control Centre, the fire broke out around 5 am in the Nayanagar slums in Mahim and quickly spread, catching the occupants unaware in their sleep.

Seven fire engines and eight tankers rushed to combat the blaze and finally managed to control it after four hours. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Congress MP from the area Eknath Gaekwad said the slum is thickly populated and there was a possibility of the casualty figures going up.

"The narrow lanes in the congested locality prevented quicker rescue operations, but the city fire brigade did a commendable job and prevented higher casualties," Gaekwad said.

Hundreds of families, who were suddenly rendered homeless, sat on the roadside crying helplessly.

Gaekwad and other social workers have assured relief to the displaced families.u00a0