Three Dead in Fire at Andheri's Riya Palace Building

Mumbai: A devastating fire broke out on Wednesday morning at the Riya Palace building in Lokhandwala, Andheri, claiming the lives of three residents. The victims, identified as an elderly couple, Chandraprakash Soni (74) and Kanta Soni (74), along with their domestic staff member, Pelubeta (42), were residents of the 10th floor of the 14-storey building.

The fire started around 8 a.m., with a neighbor on the terrace first noticing smoke coming from the 10th floor. They attempted to control the flames and quickly alerted the fire brigade. Firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to bring the blaze under control by 8:55 a.m.

Divisional Fire Officer Purushottam Sandikar, who led the response, said, "We managed to extinguish the fire within 30 minutes, but cooling operations took some additional time. Unfortunately, the victims were found in their residence and rushed to Cooper Hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival."

According to Sandikar, two of the victims died from severe burns, while the third succumbed to smoke inhalation. He also noted that the enclosed nature of the apartment made rescue efforts particularly difficult.

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the cause of the fire.