Fire brigade officials managed to get the fire under control within half an hour. Private security guards had cut off the main electrical connection of the building in time averting a major disaster.

A resident of the building, Mayurika Poddar said, ``Everything is destroyed''. She was woken up at around 4.45 am by `strange sound and smell' coming from the air conditioner. She was with her son Divesh, a guest and three servants. Though gripped by panic they managed to switch off the main power line and used fire extinguishers to put out the fire. Divesh, a student of Std X, said thick smoke filled their flat choking them all.

The fire brigade arrived at 5.15 am within 10 minutes of being alerted. Officer in charge P S Rahandale said that the cause of fire is being investigated while the owners say that the air-conditioner had ashort-circuit.