20230610 Mumbai: 5-storey Kalbadevi building on verge of collapse as fire guts it
India Jun 10 2023 “Building” “Stores”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Mumbai: 5-storey Kalbadevi building on verge of collapse as fire guts it
Updated: 2023-06-10
MUMBAI: A massive fire broke out in an old, five-storey building at Kalbadevi in south Mumbai early on Friday. The building, on Dhanji Street, near Mumbadevi Temple, was gutted following a short circuit in the electric box on the ground floor at 1.30am. No one was injured.
The blaze devoured the building, which housed a computer parts wholesale shop, a chain shop and a jewellery shop. The slabs of the second, third and fourth floors collapsed.
“Over 60 people were rescued by us. The building developed several cracks and the staircase collapsed. It is in a precarious condition,” said chief fire officer Sanjay Manjrekar. “It can collapse anytime. The building is old and dilapidated,” said assistant divisional fire officer S S Kudtarkar. Among the rescued are a family of three and 10-15 workers.
“The security guard alerted us. I told him to leave the building because smoke had already increased. I immediately called the fire brigade,” said Vijay Choksi, who lived with his family on the fourth floor of the building. “The buildings here are rather close to one another. So, we crossed over to the adjoining building through the window and used their staircase to vacate the place.” Over 30 people were rescued from the adjoining building.
Numerous exposed wires dangling on the street could have led to the fire, locals said. Hawkers have been drawing electricity from the wires, making the situation more dangerous. Hitesh Kothari, the head of a local association, said, “This is an illegal construction and then there are bundles of exposed wires. BEST, fire brigade, BMC… no authority is paying attention to it.” He suggested that nitric acid used by jewellery shops to melt gold is responsible for such fires in the area.
“It is a cessed building and has been evacuated. Mhada has to take a decision on whether the building has to be repaired or demolished and whether the occupants have to be rehabilitated. We also have to consider the safety of the adjoining buildings,” said a BMC ward official.
“We will now have to find a place to rent,” said Choksi’s wife. A few residents had proposed redevelopment to Mhada. “We are among the four owners of the building and since not all signed for redevelopment, Mhada officers said that they cannot do anything. The building did not even have an occupation certificate,” said Choksi .
Power was cut in the area as a precaution and shopkeepers on Dhanji Street were told to keep their shops shut. “We don’t know how long it will be before we get electricity and are allowed to open the shops again,” said a shopkeeper.
Web Source: The Times of India