Three people have been killed and one person was critically injured in a fire at the headquarters of Indian conglomerate Tata group.
The fire broke out on the basement level of the four-storey Bombay House building in Mumbai’s business district soon after 9.00am local time on Wednesday.
Around ten fire engines responded to the blaze, which was extinguished after around two hours. Although an investigation into the fire continues, local media reports suggest it was caused by an electrical fault.
There is also speculation that a fire suppression system fitted in the basement of the building did not operate, as it had been switched from automatic to manual operation.
Mumbai’s chief fire officer, Uday Tatkare, told the Indian Express that companies often put such systems on manual mode because of their high sensitivity. “If this system had been active, the trapped people may have got some crucial minutes before the fumes became thick and eventually choked them.”
