Two security guards have been hailed as heroes for their rescue operations that saved several lives after a nightclub in Mumbai caught fire late Thursday.
Suraj Giri and Mahesh Sable, working security guards at Times Now, saw the fire break out just after midnight. Sabke told DNA that a number of patrons at 1 Above, the nightclub that caught fire, could not escape because the flames had blocked their path.
Twenty-five-year old Sable, while speaking to DNA said that the Times Now office, and the nightclub were part of Trade House in Kamala Mills, which means that they were all interconnected. “I was at the link room when I saw the fire break out. The regular exit had been blocked, as a lot of cloth that made up the decor for the nightclub caught fire. I then went to another terrace and directed patrons to escape from there,”
Meanwhile, Giri stood downstairs and gave directions to people on the best route they could take to escape. In the process, the duo managed to save over 150-200 guests.
Sable, who is pursuing his BA, dreams of becoming a police officer. “I am glad that I had the presence of mind to act swiftly,” he said.
The blaze that started at 1 Above, the rooftop pub, spread rapidly through the building, killing 14 people, most of them women, who were attending a birthday party. Read that article here
The fire, which also injured 21 people, started after 12.30 am in the “1 Above” pub on the terrace, and spread to Mojo pub on the third floor one level below, said an official of the Mumbai civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The two gutted pubs are located in the Trade House Building in Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel area, a popular night spot as well as commercial hub housing several offices including national television channels.
“I was in the night shift. We heard people screaming at the pub. Initially, we thought it is due to the party which was underway there,” said Sanjay Jadhav, a programme producer of a news channel.
“When I came out of my office, I saw that a fire has broken out at the roof top pub. The main entrance of our office was blocked due to the flames,” he said.
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In Pics: Massive midnight fire at Mumbai’s Kamala Mills Compound kills 14; many restaurants gutted
The massive blaze engulfed the entire building in about 30 minutes and took several hours to be put out. The cause of the fire is not known.