Fire at 20th floor of Express Towers at Nariman Point, 6 fire tenders on spot

A fire broke out in a plush commercial tower at Nariman Point in South Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.

The fire at the 20th floor of Express Towers was reported around 3 pm, following which the building was evacuated. The building is located at Marine Drive on Nariman Point.

Fire department was alerted about the incident immediately. As of 3:30 pm, six fire tenders and four water tankers are on the spot. Firefighting is currently underway.

According to preliminary information, the fire is currently confined to the top floors. However, details about the cause of fire and casualties are awaited.

Meanwhile, Barrister Rajni Patel Marg has been closed for traffic between Sakhar Bhavan and Air India Junction.

The 25-storey building is owned by Indian Express Limited and it also houses their corporate headquarters. Apart from Indian Express, other tenants include, Bank of America, Blackstone Group, Ernst & Young, McKinsey & Company, Warburg Pincus, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch and Columbia University.

Upon its completion in 1972, the 105 metres building was the tallest building in South Asia for about two years. It was built by Ramnath Goenka, who founded The Indian Express.

Further details are awaited.

Update (4 pm): No casualties have been reported till now.

Update (5:05 pm): The fire has been doused and cooling operation is currently underway. Every occupant was evacuated safely.

Note: The report was added immediately after the incident. It will be updated as and when more information becomes available.