Mumbai, Sept. 8 -- An 85-year-old woman was killed while 36 people were rescued after a fire broke out in a 23-storey slum rehabilitation building in Dahisar East on Sunday. The fire was likely sparked by a short circuit around 3pm and doused after nearly three hours with the help of seven fire engines and five water tankers, said fire brigade officials. Nineteen persons, all inhabitants of the building, were taken to hospitals in the area after they complained of suffocation. Two of them are critical and under observation while the others are stable, officials added. The affected building comprises one of the five wings of the New Janakalyan Society under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) at Shanti Nagar in Dahisar East. The building, with 17 flats on each floor, received its occupation certificate in October 2024, and most inhabitants moved into their apartments in subsequent months, said residents. "The fire started around 3pm from the electric meter room in the basement of the building and spread upwards," said Ravindra Ambulgekar, chief fire officer. Though the fire was confined to the electric duct from the basement to the fourth floor, thick smoke billowed into other areas, causing panic and suffocation among inhabitants, he added. The fire brigade was informed about the blaze at 3.05pm and a rescue team was rushed to the spot immediately, said officials. Most residents were at home at the time as it was a Sunday, said Kishore Shinde, who moved into his apartment on the eighth floor about three months ago. "My younger daughter started coughing and my wife started feeling uneasy due to the smoke. So we began rushing down the stairs till fire brigade officials found us and rescued us to safety," he said. Most residents sought to escape by climbing down the stairs while some climbed up till the terrace, which is connected to another wing, and climbed down from there, Shinde added. In all, 36 residents of the building were rescued by fire brigade officials, among whom 19 were taken to neighbouring hospitals for treatment. Seven of the injured, including an 85-year-old resident of the sixth floor, were taken to Rohit Hospital, where the woman was declared brought dead. One among the remaining six was critical and under observation while five others were stable, said officials. Ten other injured were taken to Northern Care hospital and one each was taken to Pragati Hospital and the civic body-run Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, respectively. The condition of the person admitted at Shatabdi Hospital was said to be critical. The fire brigade deployed seven fire engines, three jumbo tankers, two advanced tankers, a breathing apparatus van, a hydraulic platform, an aerial ladder platform, a turntable ladder, a high-rise firefighting vehicle and a quick response vehicle. The fire was doused at 6:10pm and was followed by cooling operations. "The fire fighting equipment in the building was not in working condition. The electrical duct too was not sealed, which caused the fire to spread to other parts," said Ambulgekar. Local MLA Manisha Chaudhary visited the spot and offered help to residents who were stranded outside their homes. Officials from the SRA, who were informed about the fire by the civic staff, also visited the spot to assess the situation, said Nainish Vengurlekar, assistant commissioner, R north ward. "We will initiate action against the developer, N Rose, based on the fire department's report," an SRA official told Hindustan Times....