
Several shanties were gutted in a major fire that broke out in Dharavi slum area of Mumbai close to the Harbour line local train tracks on Saturday, leading to suspension of train services for three hours on the affected stretch, officials said.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, but several blasts, apparently of cooking gas cylinders, could be heard when the fire was raging, emanating thick black smoke that could be seen from afar.
The fire in the huts located inside the Navrang Compound on the 60-foot road broke out at 12.30 pm.
“The fire started from a single storey shanty, which later spread to similar adjacent structures. After being informed, eight fire engines and 10 jetties, many other fire brigade vehicles and some senior officials reached the spot for a firefighting operation,” a civic official said.
“There is no report of any injuries to anyone,” he added.
Several shanties were gutted in the fire, which was doused at 3.40 pm after more than three hours of efforts, he said.
As the fire broke out close to the railway tracks, local train services between Bandra and Mahim on the Harbour line were suspended, railway officials said.
“The electric supply to overhead equipment was disconnected as a safety measure due to the fire incident in the shanties adjacent to Up Harbour line on the east side between Mahim and Bandra”, a Western Railway spokesperson said.
The local train services on the affected line, which was stopped due to the fire, resumed after three hours at 3.40 pm, the official said.
The cause of the fire and the extent of damage are yet to be ascertained.









