Pune: Fire at Vanaj Housing Society in Kothrud Causes Major Damage, Two Injured in Rescue Operation
Pune, June 09, 2025: A major fire broke out in the meter room of the Vanaj Housing Society in Kothrud on Thursday at 2:34 PM, causing widespread damage and injuries. The fire, which started due to faulty wiring in the building’s duct, generated intense heat and smoke that reached up to the 9th floor of the building.
The incident destroyed all electricity meters in the D-building and melted doorbells and wiring in the 7th, 8th, and 9th-floor passages. Panic ensued among residents, especially on the upper floors, with two people sustaining injuries during the evacuation.
Among those injured was 17-year-old Mrinmayi, who jumped from a third-floor flat to a second-floor balcony out of fear and suffered a foot injury. An 85-year-old resident, Lakshman Padwal, also sustained a foot injury while climbing down the stairs. In total, 24 meters of duct wiring were destroyed in the blaze.
The Pune Fire Brigade from Kothrud Station, led by Officer-in-Charge Sunil Name, responded swiftly and successfully extinguished the flames while ensuring no resident was trapped inside. The team conducted a flat-by-flat search and rescued several people stuck on balconies.
Those involved in the evacuation effort included Firefighters Datta Gogawale, Dnyaneshwar Bathe, Chandrakant Gawade, Amol Pawar, Shankar Wable, Shivkumar Mane, Manoj Gaikwad, Santosh Bhosale, and Yogesh Lokhande.
Residents affected included Supriya Kalekar (45), Arohi Kalekar (12), Maithili (17), and Mrinmayi’s twin sister. Despite the severity of the situation, the alertness of local volunteers helped prevent greater loss.
A site inspection was conducted by Pune MP and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol, who assured residents of full support. He directed officials to immediately replace all damaged meters and install a new transformer after necessary safety checks.
Also present during the inspection were MSEDCL Sub-Engineer Rajesh Kale, PMC Assistant Commissioner Vijay Naykal, and officers from the fire department. Instructions were given to take preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Vanaj Society office-bearers including President Vinayak Pawar, Sanjay Kale, Bhausaheb Satpute, Vikas Jadhav, Yatin Gharat, Vishal Ubhe, and many women from the society participated in the review and support efforts.
