mumbai a major fire broke out in a ninestorey building at malabar hill on wednesday evening using ladders firemen rescued 17 people most of whom had rushed to the terrace a fireman sustained minor injury during the firefighting operationsources said the blaze started in a fifth floor flat of las palmas building near hanging garden around 730pm as it spread to other floors many of the residents rushed out those who were alerted late and could not get out to safety ran to the terrace two men even slid down the drainage pipechief fire officer p s rahangdale said the building is located on a deadend road and the narrow access was challenging for fire persons to deploy resources as the buildings firefighting system was not working we used jets that sprayed water directly into the flames we rescued 17 people most of whom were on the terraceshirin mirchandani 81 who lives on the fifth floor said her neighbour along with her maid and dog were at her place when the fire broke out in the flat next door her other maid rushed out of the flat screaming that there was a fire and my cook alerted us later firemen rescued me my neighbour and our maidssurendra jadhav who works in a flat on the seventh floor said they were informed about the blaze via intercom his employer along with his wife and one of their children were also at home jadhav said they rushed out and found the lobby filled with smoke jadhav said his employers family rushed into the bedroom while he and another help took refuge in the living room as the smoke entered the flat we faced difficulty breathing we opened a window and slid down the drainage pipe we suffered bruises while doing so but are happy to be alive firemen rescued his employer and his familywatch mumbai major fire breaks out in residential building at little gibbs road malabar hill