On Wednesday morning, a fire in a flat at an upscale Lokhandwala building resulted in the deaths of two senior citizens and their housekeeper. According to BMC officials, the fire brigade was alerted about a fire at Riya Palace on Cross Road Number 4 in Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri West, around 8 am. The fire, which was confined to a residential flat on the 10th floor of the 14-story building, was classified as minor. However, three individuals inside the flat were transported to Cooper Hospital, where the assistant medical officer confirmed that all three—Chander Prakash Soni, 74, Kanta Soni, 74, and Pelubeta, 42,—were pronounced dead upon arrival.

During a visit to the site, it was evident that the road leading to the building was quite narrow due to vehicles parked on both sides. Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA) President Dhaval Shah said, “We need a fire brigade station closer to our area, as the current response time from Irla puts lives at risk during emergencies. Additionally, the narrow bylanes in Lokhandwala hinder fire engines from reaching buildings quickly.”