In an unfortunate incident, an elderly couple was charred to death while two others were injured when fire broke out at the 11th and 12th floor of Sundarban Park building in Samtanagar area in Thane.
Shivajirao Choughule, 82, and his wife Nirmala, 78 were killed in the fire as they could not escape the flames, while their daughter and grandson were trapped for nearly two hours on the ledge outside the balcony at 12th floor, officials said.
While their daughter Ranjana Save and her 16-year-old son Vikramaditya, who lived in the adjacent flat (which too was engulfed in flames and smoke) were trapped as they climbed on the ledge.
The mother-son duo had to be taken out through the staircase as the specialised ‘snorkel ladders’ of the Fire Brigade could not reach up to the spot where they were stranded.
According to reports, the fire, which residents claim broke out at around 6:00 am today, was caused due to a short circuit.
Fire Brigades were rushed to the spot immediately, which brought the fire under control. Six firemen entered the flat through stairs and rescued the trapped people.
The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, while the elderly couple was declared ‘brought dead’ by the doctors.
