1 dead after jumping from 19th floor to escape Mumbai fire
By ASHOK SHARMA
Associated Press
NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire official in Mumbai says at least one person died after jumping from the 19th floor to escape a fire that engulfed a 61-story luxury apartment building in western India. Another 15 people have been rescued and the fire brought under control later Friday. TV images showed heavy black smoke billowing into the sky from the 19th floor apartment in south Mumbai, India’s financial and entertainment capital. The cause of the fire is not immediately known. Sixteen fire engines and eight water tankers were deployed to extinguish the blaze. The building owner says all residents in 400 apartments have been accounted for. Fires are common in India, where building laws and safety norms are often flouted by builders and residents.
