Kamala Mills fire: BMC initiates demolition drive against errant restaurants ahead of New Year's Eve

A day after  14 people lost their lives  and 55 were injured in a major fire that broke out at a building in Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai’s Lower Parel locality, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out a demolition drive against illegal structures in the area on Saturday, according to media reports.

BMC's demolition drive against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai, a fire that broke out here late Thursday night, claimed 14 lives. pic.twitter.com/w71mc27yP8

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) demolition drive against illegal structures in #KamalaMills area of #Mumbai, a fire that broke out here late Thursday night, claimed 14 lives. pic.twitter.com/qODi4TGeae

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017

BMC workers also acted against illegal structures in the Raghuvanshi Mill compound of Lower Parel, ANI said.

Mumbai: BMC action against illegal structures in Lower Parel's Raghuvanshi Mill compound. pic.twitter.com/2GDTqSchve

— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017

“Investigation is underway, we are taking strict action against those who violated the rules,” ANI quoted BMC’s additional municipal commissioner as saying on Saturday. Restaurants found violating multiple regulations Thursday's fire , which killed 14 and injured 55, engulfed portions of three separate pubs which were situated adjacent to each other. “The incident occurred after 12.30 am at 1Above pub, located on the third floor of the Trade House building in Kamala Mills compound on Senapati Bapat Marg,” PTI quoted a police official as saying. [caption id=“attachment_4280635” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The fire at Kamala MillS Compound claimed 14 lives. PTI[/caption] Although news reports had said the main reason for the blaze was a short circuit, eyewitnesses at Kamala Mills reportedly told fire department officials that the blaze was caused by a hookah. The restaurant 1Above appeared to have violated multiple fire safety provisions. The restaurant building reportedly had blocked its fire exit, which led to people present at the building getting stuck. An  India Today report said that the presence of untrained staff was also a violation by the restaurant. Poor ventilation, improper functioning of fire equipment, and the presence of only a single staircase for movement of customers were also some of the other violations at 1Above. However, Dr Sulbha KG Arora, an eyewitness, told  The Quint that staff present at the building helped some of the people escape. “Thankfully, the staff ushered some of us out through the kitchen, which was the only other point of exit from the restaurant. We escaped using the back gate while the staff members patiently helped us. We could feel the flames behind us. Even the security guards downstairs were asking everyone to evacuate in an orderly manner, and were trying to calm people down,” the report quoted her as saying. Sources told Firstpost that in August, BMC had demolished a parapet which was commonly shared by 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro, a restaurant located adjacent to it. But the parapet was re-constructed to facilitate seating arrangements for guests. The Kamala Mills area has one of the largest concentration of eateries in the city. A perfunctory search yielded 36 names of restaurants, bars, cafes, clubs and pubs located inside Kamala Mills. These include several Pan Asian and Continental fine-dining restaurants, rooftop pubs, live event venues, clubs and discotheques, and even a gaming arcade. Restaurants defend themselves 1Above released the following statement , saying they had followed all the necessary regulations. “The facts of the incident, as seen by our staff, indicate a rising fire that began to emanate from the adjoining quarters to 1Above. We presume the unmanageable nature at the preliminary source of the fire resulted in it’s escalation to our property where all owners, staff and restaurant management from 1Above engaged immediately in clearing the crowd from the establishment. There was no escape from Mojo’s Bistro, therefore we believe that all their guests were told go through the premises of 1Above as we have an emergency exit. Hence, patrons from Mojo’s Bistro also began to rush into our premises as we helped the fire brigade that had arrived at the scene to evacuate guests. All our premises are well-inspected and we have the requisite permissions for the same.” In a statement by Mojo's Bistro , the restaurant denied that it had any cylinders on its premises, a reason speculated to have aided the blaze. “Our staff were able to evacuate all our guests and themselves out to safety with zero injuries. There were no cylinders on our premises,” it said. BMC to ensure restaurants are fire safety compliant ahead of New Year’s Eve The BMC on Saturday directed its officials to form teams to ensure that all restaurants are fire safety compliant ahead of new year’s eve celebrations in the city. [caption id=“attachment_4280769” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  The fire caused heavy damage to property at Kamala Mills. AFP[/caption] BMC chief Ajoy Mehta, in a message to all assistant municipal commissioners and deputy commissioners of the civic body, said all zonal deputy commissioners and ward officers are requested to form a team comprising staff of building and factory departments, medical health officers and fire department staff. The team will inspect all restaurants in their respective wards and ensure they are fire compliant, the message said. The premises should have fire escape routes, staircases and ensure open spaces are encroachment free, it added. The Mumbai civic body had on Friday suspended five officials, including those attached to the G-South ward for dereliction of duty. There are allegations that civic authorities turned a blind eye to construction irregularities and violation of fire safety norms in the compound. Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar had said an inquiry had been ordered and strict action would be taken against errant officials. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena , which is at the helm of affairs in the BMC, in its mouthpiece Saamana, lamented about the lethargic attitude of administrations across the world towards issues of fire safety, as it cited the examples of fire incidents at Mecca and London. With inputs from agencies