Nearly 60 residents were rescued from Sai Sapphire, a 24-storey building in Powai, after a fire broke out on the 17th floor

MUMBAI: Nearly 60 residents were rescued from Sai Sapphire, a 24-storey residential tower in Powai, after a fire erupted in the duct area on the 17th floor on Wednesday morning.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade was alerted at around 9.30 am, prompting fire engines, ambulances, and police personnel to rush to the site. The fire spread through the electric duct from the 9th to the 21st floor, filling the building with dense smoke and making evacuation necessary. Residents were guided to safety via the staircase.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze by 12.02 pm. No injuries were reported as far.
Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association, highlighted long-standing fire safety concerns in the area.
“In 2015, a fire in a nearby residential building claimed seven lives. Following that, a mini fire station was set up, but it remains non-functional—without staff or fire engines. We’ve raised this issue multiple times, but the BMC has taken no action. Having fire engines nearby could have helped control today’s fire much faster,” he said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.