Part of Mumbai building collapses after fire

A major fire broke out in an old building in South Mumbai early today and a part of it collapsed, injuring two fire brigade personnel, an official said.

The fire brigade personnel were injured when a portion of the building, called Kothari building (also known as the Light Of Asia), collapsed during the fire-fighting operation, he said.

The fire in the ground-plus-five-storey building, which is unoccupied for the past nearly five years, started at around 4 am, the official from the fire department said.

The structure in the Fort area, a major business district, is old and its southern part collapsed when fire brigade personnel were putting out the blaze, he said.

Fire department officials confirmed no one was trapped inside the building.

Sixteen fire engines were deployed to douse the flames, he said, adding the cause of the blaze was not immediately known.