The cooling of Link Square Mall in Bandra West was still underway two days after a massive fire broke out in one of the three-storey structure’s basements around 3.58 am on Tuesday. The intense blaze was extinguished only by 1 am on Wednesday, April 30. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has put up a notice stating that entry would be allowed only after a structural audit of the gutted shopping centre is conducted.

“Two fire engines have been stationed at the spot,” a Mumbai Fire Brigade official told mid-day. According to officials, the remains of the structure would be inspected only after the cooling operation was over. Amid allegations about illegal alterations to the mall’s structure and firefighters taking far too much time to put out the fire, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani ordered that an inquiry be conducted under Joint Municipal Commissioner D Gangadharan, which will be completed in two weeks. Officials will check to see whether there had been any lapses on the part of everyone involved and why it took an inordinate amount of time to extinguish the fire.