One of the things that aggravated Saturday’s blaze was the chemical stored in the gold workshop on the fourth floor of the Gokul Niwas buiding in Kalbadevi — the liquid not only increased the intensity of the flames, but also gave severe chemical burns to one of the firemen injured in the rescue operation. In fact, Kalbadevi and the nearby Zaveri Bazaar are jam-packed with several such jewellery workshops that are potential fire hazards.

Far from golden: For up to 18 hours a day, the labourers are locked inside cramped rooms with no way to escape, as they use kerosene and blowtorches to mould gold and silver jewellery