A massive fire broke out at the Blue Roof Club on Ghodbunder Road in Thane on Thursday night, December 18, around 10.30 pm, triggering panic among locals in the busy stretch. Initial information suggests that fireworks may have sparked the blaze, though officials have said the exact cause is yet to be confirmed.

The Thane Municipal Corporation Disaster Management team and the fire department responded swiftly after receiving the emergency call. Multiple fire engines were rushed to the spot as flames and thick smoke engulfed parts of the club premises.

According to officials, the fire was brought under control within approximately half an hour, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures in the densely populated area.

Speaking to the media at the site, Yasteen Tadvi, Disaster Management Officer of the Thane Municipal Corporation, said the scale of the fire was significant, but timely intervention helped avert a major disaster.

“We cannot specify the exact reason for the fire at this stage, but it was massive. As soon as the Disaster Management team received the call, the fire department immediately dispatched fire brigades to the location. After considerable effort, the fire was brought under control. There have been no casualties or injuries,” Tadvi said.

Fire officials continued cooling operations late into the night to ensure there was no risk of reignition. Police personnel were also deployed to manage the crowd and regulate traffic movement along Ghodbunder Road during the firefighting operation.

In a separate incident earlier this week, a fire was reported near the Coastal Road project at Marine Drive in south Mumbai on Wednesday, December 17. Preliminary information indicated that a cable running along the seafront caught fire, resulting in thick smoke in the area.

The smoke entered parts of the Coastal Road tunnel, leading to temporary traffic disruptions. As a precautionary measure, vehicular movement towards North Mumbai was briefly halted.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade rushed to the spot and successfully brought the fire under control. Personnel from the Marine Drive Police Station remained at the site to ensure public safety and smooth traffic flow.

Authorities have confirmed that no injuries were reported in either incident, and investigations are underway to determine the exact causes.

Mumbai, Dec 19: Indian stock markets opened on a positive note on Friday, taking cues from supportive global markets, even as benchmark indices remained on track to close the week in the red for the third consecutive session.

In early trade, the Sensex was trading at 84,866.06, up 384.25 points or 0.45 per cent at around 9:20 AM.

The Nifty index was also higher, quoting at 25,926.90, up 104 points or 0.4 per cent. The index continues to trade within the 25,700–25,900 range, reflecting trader indecision.

“Immediate resistance is placed at 25,900–26,000, while key supports are seen at 25,700 and 25,600,” analysts said.

Buying interest was seen in several heavyweight stocks. Shares of TMPV, Eternal, Infosys, Power Grid, BEL, Sun Pharma, and Bajaj Finserv gained up to 1.5 per cent and emerged as the top performers on the Sensex.

On the other hand, ICICI Bank and Bharti Airtel were the only stocks trading in the red during early deals.

Sectorally, all indices were trading higher. The Nifty Healthcare index led the gains, rising 1.14 per cent, followed closely by the Nifty Pharma index, which was up 1.1 per cent.

The Nifty Auto index also gained around 0.5 to 0.57 per cent.

The broader markets mirrored the positive sentiment, with the Nifty Midcap index gaining 0.45 per cent, while the Nifty Smallcap index was up 0.47 per cent.

Meanwhile, investors remain cautious ahead of several key global and domestic triggers.

Globally, market participants are keeping an eye on retail sales data from the UK, wage tracker data from the euro area, and the US Federal Reserve’s balance sheet numbers. On the domestic front, investors are awaiting the Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting minutes and the latest foreign exchange reserve data.

In terms of institutional activity, foreign institutional investors turned net buyers, purchasing shares worth Rs 614.26 crore on Thursday.

Domestic institutional investors also supported the market, with net purchases of Rs 2,525.98 crore during the same session.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to a cool and refreshing Friday morning, with clear skies, mild winter winds and relatively low humidity offering a brief respite from the city’s usual heat. However, the pleasant start was short-lived as a visible layer of smog gradually enveloped the skyline, reducing visibility and once again highlighting the city’s deepening air pollution crisis.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast a largely comfortable day for the financial capital, predicting bright conditions with temperatures ranging between 18°C and 33°C. While weather conditions remained favourable, air quality quickly emerged as the city’s primary concern.

Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 182 during the early hours of the day, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category. Although this marked a slight improvement from the hazardous levels recorded in late November and early December, the air remained unhealthy, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and individuals suffering from respiratory or cardiac ailments.

Several large-scale infrastructure projects are currently underway across Mumbai, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works. In addition, aggressive private real estate development has added to dust emissions. Vehicular pollution during peak traffic hours has further aggravated air quality, particularly at busy intersections and arterial roads.

Several locations across the city emerged as major pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal reported a severe AQI of 362, indicating conditions that can seriously affect even healthy individuals. Charkop recorded an AQI of 260, while Colaba stood at 240, both falling in the ‘unhealthy’ category. Deonar registered an AQI of 217 and Chembur, a key commercial and residential area, recorded 213.

Suburban areas especially showed relatively better readings but remained far from safe. Kandivali East recorded an AQI of 75, while Parel-Bhoiwada and Andheri West logged 95 and 97 respectively, all within the ‘moderate’ range. However, areas such as Jogeshwari and Goregaon slipped into the ‘poor’ category with AQI readings of 113 each.

For perspective, AQI values between 0 and 50 are considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy and levels above 200 hazardous.