Mumbai: Fires in high-rises claimed 16 lives in past 4 months

Fires in city high-rises are responsible for 16 deaths in the past four months. The overall death toll due to fires last year was nine. Despite the improved strength of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and a relative drop in the number of fire outbreaks and casualties, recent blazes raise questions regarding fire-safety standards in buildings and awareness among citizens.

The MFB's data shows that between 2019 and 2023, there were 18,746 fire incidents reported in the city, in which 81 lives were lost. On an average, 13 fire incidents are reported every day, and nine are caused by electrical failures. Most, however, are effectively dealt with within an hour.

The number of major blazes and deaths have been reducing over the years. There have been more than three incidents in the past four months where residents were rescued and admitted to hospitals but a major tragedy was averted. Of the 48,434 fires that broke out in the city between 2008 and 2018, official data reveals that short circuits were responsible for 32,516. Short circuits occur due to bad maintenance, poor quality of materials and overloading.

"Fire safety audits are required for residential buildings up to 32 metres in height or less than 10 storeys. This provision has been crucial in ensuring the safety of buildings under construction, but there is no contemporaneous provision for carrying out similar fire safety audits for already constructed buildings. The BMC either establishes a dedicated unit within the MFB or collaborates with societies to implement a system for regular fire safety audit compliance reports on a six-month basis," said Godfrey Pimenta, an activist.

After a fire broke out at Gokul Niwas in Kalbadevi in 2019, which took the lives of four fire officials, the MFB underwent a revamp and more mini stations were set up. Currently, Mumbai has 35 fire stations, 19 mini fire stations and 22 quick response vehicles. Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar did not respond to mid-day's queries about the high recent death toll by press time.

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Major incidents from July to October 2023

>> An 85-year-old died after a fire broke out in Santacruz East on July 8

>> A 65-year-old man was killed after a fire broke out at a residential building in Santacruz West on August 15

>> Three persons, including an NRI couple, died in a fire at Galaxy Hotel in Santacruz East on August 27

>> 11 women, six children and 16 men were rescued after a fire broke out in Saki Society in D'souza compound in Kurla on September 9

>> 29 people were admitted to the hospital on September 16 after a fire broke out in building number 7 E wing at Kurla. A woman had died in the same building due to a fire in February

>> Four people were taken to a hospital after a fire broke out in Om Heera Panna Mall in Jogeshwari West on September 22

>> A 56-year-old man died due to suffocation after a fire broke out at Raintree Building in Hindu Colony, Dadar on September 23

>> 8 people died in the Jay Bhavani SRA building fire in Goregaon on October 6

>> A mother and her son were killed in a fire in Veena Santoor building in Kandivli on October 23

35
No of fire stations in city