Fire in 17-storey Carlyle tower at Thane's Wagle Estate traps residents in flats and a lift

A major fire broke out on Sunday night in the Carlyle building of Raheja Gardens in Wagle Estate, Thane. The 17-storey tower is part of a residential complex with more than 350 flats. Residents said they consider themselves lucky to have escaped with their lives.

The fire started in the building's electrical duct and spread quickly between the 7th and 14th floors. Toxic, blinding smoke filled the corridors. Between 40 and 50 people were trapped inside their five-BHK flats.

Specialised teams of the Thane Municipal Corporation's (TMC) Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC), the Thane Fire Brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out the rescue operation. It stretched into Monday, and the fire was put out at 2.30 am on Monday.

Loss of life was averted, but the damage inside the building was heavy. The common electrical duct and corridors were burnt. The doors, electrical wiring and contents of several flats were charred. The reception area was also partly burnt.

Among those rescued was a frail elderly man who was on a BiPAP oxygen support machine. Panic broke out when smoke began entering his flat. Firefighters and emergency crews took him down the smoke-filled staircase to safety, where paramedics gave him first aid on the spot.

For some, the danger came inside a lift on its way down. A young resident of the Carlyle building, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "We were trapped in the lift. The power went off and smoke began coming in. We were rescued just in time, and we were lucky."

The resident also said: "On Monday I am going up with my mother and sister to see what is left of the flat, and then we will start shifting our belongings. Fire brigade vehicles stayed inside the complex until late evening and kept up the cooling work."

The Carlyle building has 34 flats, home to business families. Several ministers, MPs and senior municipal officials arrived at the complex around midnight to monitor the evacuation. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, MPs Naresh Mhaske and Dr Shrikant Shinde, local MLAs Ravindra Phatak and Niranjan Davkhare, Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimplolkar, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao and District Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal were present.

More than eight fire engines, a skylift and a hydraulic platform brought from Mumbai, water tankers and seven ambulances were deployed. RDMC chief Yasin Tadvi said: "The cause of the fire is under investigation." Chief Fire Officer Girish Zhalke could not be reached.

Separately, Dr Shrikrishna Panchal, Thane District Collector and chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, on Monday imposed a complete ban across the district on rockets fired into the air and flying firecrackers. The ban will remain in force from 12.01 pm on November 9 until 11.59 pm on January 8, 2027.

Shahid Khan, a resident of Dream Paradise in Ulwe, said: "When a high-rise catches fire, the staircases become industrial chimneys within minutes. The real danger is the blinding smoke and toxic gases trapped in corridors and ducts. If the outer glass panels do not open and the internal duct dampers fail, you are stranded on an island hundreds of feet up. Most people do not think about smoke hoods or fire drills until the alarm rings."

Suraj Rajput, a resident of Daffodil in Ulwe, said: "The moment a duct catches fire, you realise we are living in tall powder kegs with no emergency way out. We spend crores on sky villas, but our lives depend on whether a hydraulic ladder will reach our floor, or whether the lift will have power for sixty seconds. Fire safety in high-rises in our cities cannot remain just a paper NOC."