Following the tragic fire incident in a residential building in Mumbai's Goregaon area, which claimed the lives of seven people and left 62 others injured, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has issued directives for comprehensive fire safety audits to be conducted on all Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) buildings
At least seven people, including two minors, were killed in fire/ Anurag Ahire
Following the tragic fire incident in a residential building in Mumbai's Goregaon area, which claimed the lives of seven people and left 62 others injured, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has issued directives for comprehensive fire safety audits to be conducted on all Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) buildings, stated a PTI report.
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The fire occurred in the Jay Bhavani SRA building, resulting in the loss of seven lives, including two minors. Among the injured, five individuals are in critical condition. Chief Minister Shinde visited the fire site and met with some of the injured victims currently receiving treatment at the Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari. He had previously announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased.
Addressing reporters during his visit to the hospital, Shinde announced the appointment of a dedicated officer responsible for overseeing fire safety audits of SRA buildings. This measure aims to prevent incidents like the tragic fire in Goregaon from occurring in the future.
In response to the incident, Maharashtra's Tourism Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who is also serving as the guardian minister for Mumbai's suburban district, ordered the establishment of a special committee tasked with investigating the Goregaon fire. The committee has been directed to submit its findings within a fortnight, per Lodha's instructions.
SRA buildings are typically constructed to provide housing for slum dwellers after their occupied land is cleared for development by private entities. These private entities fund the rehabilitation of the affected slum residents and often generate returns on their investments by constructing homes for sale in the open market.
Goregaon building blaze
On Friday morning, the Jay Bhavani SRA building caught a massive fire. The Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) had rushed to spot with eight fire engines, five jumbo tankers, a water tank and a quick-reaction vehicle for rescue operations.
The blaze survivors were quoted in media reports recounting the horror they faced as the building was enveloped by fire. A woman recounted that she and her family were stuck inside their home and were unable to breathe properly due to the fire and thick smoke. She said that they had contemplated jumping out of the window to save their lives.
Another woman, who was rescued by the firefighters, said that the fire began around 2:30 am on the ground floor. People only realised they were endangered after the smoke and flame engulfed the building, she remarked.
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