An early morning fire in a 12-floor structure, HDIL Residential Complex’s building 7C, in Kurla West on Wednesday led to the death of a 70-year-old woman due to suffocation. Eight others suffocated and are being treated at the civic-run Rajawadi hospital. The fire started in the wiring duct of the building around 6.30 am.

According to the Mumbai Fire Bridage, a call regarding the fire was received at 6.56 am. The HDIL Residential Complex houses project-affected people (PAP). Resident Nitin Parbalkar, who resides on the eighth floor, said that when children were going to school in the morning, they noticed the smoke. “The children started screaming on seeing the fumes. All residents came out of the building. We saw smoke emanating from the wiring duct. It was very thick. Somebody called the fire bridge. They reached on time,” said Parbalkar.