Two women died, and six other people were rushed to hospital after a massive fire broke out in a 14-storey building in Maharashtra's Palghar district around midnight on Wednesday, officials said.
The blaze was reported at 12.10 am at the Imperial Heights building located on the Nalasopara-Vasai Link Road, an official from the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation's (VVMC) fire department said, adding that 25 persons were rescued from the building.
Two women, identified as Falguni Shah (50) and Ashwini Parkar (50), died after the incident, the official said.
They are suspected to have died due to suffocation from heavy smoke, as per preliminary information provided by doctors. The exact cause of death will be confirmed following the post-mortem, he said.
Six other individuals were rushed to a private hospital for treatment, the official said.
Panic gripped the building as the fire spread rapidly. Four residents took refuge on a small exterior ledge to escape the thick smoke and flames and remained stranded there for nearly 45 minutes. VVMC fire personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the trapped individuals using a large crane, he said.
Seven fire engines battled the flames through the night, and the blaze was brought under control by 7.20 am, the official said.
Local representatives, including former mayor Rupesh Jadhav, visited the site to inspect the rescue operations.
Cooling operations were underway. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, the official added.