India, Nov. 7 -- A fire broke out on the 20th floor of a Ghatkopar East high-rise on Friday evening, leaving three persons injured, and prompting the evacuation of the entire building, including senior citizens and ailing residents. The fire in the residential building - Altreza, in Pantnagar -- which was reported around 8:08 pm, was extinguished by 11:10 pm by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB).

The cause of the fire remains disputed. While preliminary accounts suggest a firecracker entered a joint flat and sparked the blaze, deputy commissioner of police Ganesh Shinde stated a short circuit was responsible.

The MFB declared it a Level-I fire at 8:30 pm but subsequently upgraded it to Level-II at 8:52 pm.

The injured have been identified a...