Around 100 people are feared trapped on the terrace of a telephone exchange where a fire broke out Monday afternoon, civic officials said.

It is a nine-floor building and fire is confined mainly to the third and fourth floors, an official said.

The fire broke out around 3pm at the MTNL building, which incidentally is located near a fire brigade centre in suburban Bandra.

As it is a working day, several people, mostly MTNL employees, were in the building, the official said.

Fourteen fire engines and other equipment, including a robot van and an ambulance, are engaged in the fire-fighting effort, the official added.

“Fire is confined to the third and fourth floors of the building,” the official said.

Fire fighting and rescue operations are in progress and efforts to come to the rescue of the people stranded on upper floors and terrace of the building are on, he said.

Visuals on TV channels showed smoke billowing from the building and people on the terrace trying to signal those below.

There were no reports yet of anyone being injured in the incident.