M A I N   N E W S

Major blaze at mall built by Dawood’s brother in Mumbai
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, November 26
A major fire broke out in a mall said to be illegally built by the brother of gangster Dawood Ibrahim. According to the Mumbai fire brigade, the blaze broke out at the Sara-Sahara Shopping Centre at around 3.30 am. The fire soon engulfed the adjacent Manish Market and Mota Market, reducing several hundred shops to rubble, police said.

"More than a thousand shops have been damaged," an officer of the fire brigade control room told this newspaper.

There were however no casualties as the market was shut. However, three firemen who were battling the blaze were injured. They have been rushed to hospital.

The cause of the fire is not known. The blaze was still continuing late in the afternoon, fire brigade officials said. In addition to 30 fire tenders, the authorities have summoned help from adjoining Navi Mumbai.

Later, in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan visited the area and spoke to the traders.

According to fire officials, the blaze which began at the Sara-Sahara mall spread to the buildings nearby. While the blaze at Sara-Sahara was put out late in the afternoon, the other two buildings were still smouldering.