A fire broke out in the basement of Aayakar Bhavan, the Income Tax Department’s office building on Maharshi Karve Road in Mumbai’s Churchgate area, on Monday afternoon, August 17. The incident triggered a major emergency response as thick smoke spread through the building and firefighters began evacuating people from the upper floors. No casualties or injuries had been reported at the time of the latest updates.
Fire Reported in Basement
According to officials, the Mumbai Fire Brigade received a call about the blaze at approximately 2:01 p.m. The fire was initially classified as a Level-I incident at around 2:10 p.m., while later updates from the fire brigade indicated that the situation had been escalated to Level-II. The blaze was reported to be confined to the basement of the building, which consists of a basement, ground floor and seven upper floors.
The basement fire generated heavy smoke that moved into the upper portions of the building. This created an immediate evacuation challenge, with emergency personnel working to ensure that employees and other occupants could safely leave the premises.
Aayakar Bhavan is a major government office complex housing various Income Tax Department offices. Because of its size and the number of people who work in or visit the building, emergency evacuation became a priority once smoke began affecting the upper floors.
Firefighters Launch Rescue Operation
Mumbai Fire Brigade teams rushed to the location with multiple fire engines and specialised rescue equipment. Firefighters entered the smoke-filled building while separate teams focused on evacuating people from the upper floors. Ladders were reportedly used to assist with the rescue operation, while specialised equipment including a turntable ladder and aerial ladder platform was deployed.
Several agencies joined the response, including Mumbai Police, BEST personnel, ambulance services and BMC ward staff. At least four fire engines were initially reported to have been deployed, with additional firefighting vehicles and personnel arriving as the operation continued.
Later reports stated that around 1,800 employees working in the building were safely evacuated, with no casualties reported. Ambulances were also kept on standby as a precaution while firefighters worked to bring the situation under control.
Thick Smoke Creates Difficult Conditions
Although the fire was reportedly restricted to the basement, smoke spreading upward created difficult conditions for occupants and emergency responders. Thick plumes of smoke were visible from outside the building, while firefighters wearing breathing equipment worked inside.
The evacuation operation was particularly important because people on upper floors could potentially have been cut off from normal exits by smoke. Emergency teams therefore used multiple access and rescue methods to move occupants to safety.
Officials continued to monitor the structure while firefighting teams worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading beyond the basement area.
Cause of Fire Yet to Be Determined
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established. Authorities are expected to examine the basement and building systems once firefighting operations are completed to determine what triggered the blaze and assess the extent of damage.
For now, the primary focus remains on ensuring the safety of everyone who was inside the building and completely securing the affected premises. Officials have not reported any fatalities or injuries in the latest updates.
The incident has once again highlighted the importance of fire-safety preparedness in large government and commercial buildings. Rapid emergency response, functioning evacuation routes and specialised firefighting equipment proved crucial as authorities dealt with the smoke-filled building in Mumbai’s busy Churchgate area.
