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Major fire at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard

MUMBAI — A major fire engulfed an administrative building of Mumbai’s over 270 years old Naval Dockyard on Thursday, officials said. No casualties have been reported in the blaze.

“We have rushed eight fire engines, six jumbo tankers and three ambulances to the spot,” a fire brigade officer said. “Four crane-cum-ladders too have been sent. Although the fire has been largely controlled, it might still take our fire officers some time to douse the blaze entirely,” he added.

Fire tenders from the Naval Dockyard, INS Shikra and from the civil administration are also engaged in fire fighting operations.

According to a defence official, the fire originated on the second floor of the heritage building in south Mumbai.

“The second floor was mostly made of wood and hence it caught fire faster than normal,” an official said.

Electrical short-circuiting is believed to have sparked the blaze, but officials said the exact cause will be known only after an investigation.

The official, however, said that the building was evacuated immediately and all important files and data were removed. “The data stored in computers is also backed up. Hence, there is no major loss,” he said. “No casualties or injuries have been reported so far,” he added. The dockyard is the premier repair yard of the Indian Navy. Over 270 years old, it was established in 1735 and its Bombay Dock, the first dry dock in Asia, was commissioned in 1750.