In another case of blatant negligence, a resident of Colaba's Churchill Chambers, which went up in flames on Sunday, died as fire officials refused to believe that he was stuck inside. His friends said even though the fire brigade reached the spot on time, they took two hours to get the equipment required for the rescue operation. Over and above this, when deceased Shyam Aiyyar's girlfriend asked the officials to rescue him, they said everyone had been rescued.

Speaking to mid-day, Chaiti Narula, a senior media person, said, "Though the fire brigade got there on time, it took two hours for their equipment to arrive. When Pooja, Shyam's girlfriend, asked the firemen to rescue him from the third floor, they didn't believe her. Then one of our friends — Kaizad Bhabha — rushed upstairs to rescue him. But by the time he reached, he found Shyam dead. We will take this up with the authorities concerned, as no one should die due to the apathy of the fire brigade and civic body. There are many buildings in South Bombay that needs immediate attention in terms of fire safety standards. We won't let those at fault get away easily."