Janjivan Bureau / Mumbai : 14 people — including eleven women — lost their lives and 19 others were injured after a fire broke out in a building at Mumbai’s Kamala Mills compound early on Friday, police and fire officials said.
According to the fire brigade, the blaze was reported shortly after midnight from the One Above restaurant located on the third floor of the building. Within a few minutes the fire had spread to adjoining restaurants and damaged equipment belonging to several television channels in what is considered to be Mumbai’s media and entertainment
hub.
Police said the victims were celebrating the 28th birthday of a woman who also died in the fire.
Eyewitnesses took to the social media to state that the fire suddenly broke out in one corner of the restaurant and soon spread throughout the premises. Patrons trapped inside could not find the entrance at the dimly lit restaurant, police said. Fire officials said the dead and most of the injured had locked themselves inside the bathroom of the restaurant. Most of the dead died of suffocation. Several of the injured were also trampled upon while trying to escape.
“Almost all died due to asphyxiation. No one has died due to flames but due to fumes,” Dr Harish Pathak head of the forensics at KEM Hospital told reporters here. Dr Rajesh Dhere, who conducted the autopsies, said the victims would have been alive had they locked themselves in a room with adequate ventilation.
Following the doctor’s revelations, many people took to social media to state that the establishments in the entire Kamala Mills area located in the Elphinstone Road-Lower Parel area lacked a proper evacuation plan.
Fund manager Sandip Sabharwal, who lives nearby, took to social media to state that the old buildings were refurbished to house restaurants and pubs. “Most of these pubs flout safety norms and play music till 2 am,” Sabharwal said on social media.
Member of Parliament and former actor Jaya Bachchan also told reporters in Delhi that the entire Kamala Mills complex resembled a maze of warrens like “bhool bhoolaya” or a haunted house. “We noticed that there was no accessible exit. Investigation needed into the restaurants,” Ashish Shelar, chief of the Mumbai BJP told reporters here.
Activists say the neighbourhood — which had once housed textile mills — has been turned into offices and entertainment spots without adequate infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai municipal corporation said in a statement here that they had only a few weeks ago demolished some illegal extensions carried out at the One Above restaurant. The civic body had also served three notices for various violations, officials said.
The police said this afternoon that a case of culpable homicide has been registered against Hratesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Manka of C Grade Hospitality, which manages the One Above restaurant.
BMC suspends five officials
Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said later on Friday that five officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had been suspended.
“We have suspended five officials in connection with the fire tragedy,” Mehta said.
The officials suspended were attached to the fire brigade and the G South Ward.
The suspended officials include an assistant divisional fire officer, while the remaining four are from the ward office, including engineers and health officials, civic sources said, adding that the ward officer of G South has been transferred.
Mumbai Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar said an enquiry has been ordered and strict action will be taken against errant officials.
The fire also damaged equipment belonging to several television channels located in the Kamala Mills complex. However, the channels were back on air after a few hours.
