A massive fire in Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel, took 14 lives and injured 12, who were rushed to KEM Hospital in the early hours on Friday.
After preliminary investigations into the cause of the fire, the Mumbai police has registered a case under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for culpable homicide against the owner of an establishment named ‘1 Above’.
While the cause of fire remains uncertain, questions are being raised on the number of illegal structures built on the compound and is being called “a clear case of negligence”.
Possible Causes of the Blaze
An eyewitness, Sulbha Arora, who was trapped at ‘1 Above’ said that the “ceiling above [her] was collapsing in flames”. The fire reportedly started at 12:30 am and spread rapidly to the surrounding area. Eyewitnesses also said the entire building was engulfed in flames in less than half an hour.
“Coal fire” from sheeshas could’ve caused the fire to break out, a Twitter user theorised.
Another version claims the fire could’ve broken out because of a “fire cracker display gone wrong”.
Yet another eyewitness claims the blaze might actually have started in ‘Mojo Bistro’.
Because the restaurants went up in flames in a matter of seconds, many people fled to the bathrooms for safety. According to a report in The Indian Express, most of the bodies were recovered from the bathroom. Dr Rajesh Dere, who performed the postmortem, told ANI that 14 individuals died of suffocation.
According to a report in DNA, the “primary observations indicate that gas leakage or short circuit could be the reason behind the fire”.
Both the rooftop restaurants are on the same floor (Level 2) of the Kamala Mills Compound.
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