Mumbai: Fire brigade to serve notice to society for negligence and non-compliance to fire safety norms

Two days after the Tardeo Sachinam heights building blaze that killed seven and left 23 others injured, the Mumbai Fire brigade (MFB) has decided to slap a notice to society's office bearers for negligence and non-compliance to fire safety norms.

According to Hemant Parab, the Chief Fire Officer, MFB will be issuing a notice to the society under Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measure Act after the firefighters found that the fire fighting system in the 20 storey building was not functional.

"While the committee that was set is investigating the fire, it is clear that the society did not comply with the fire safety norm as stipulated under Maharashtra Fire Prevention & Life Safety Measure Act. Hence as per protocol on Tuesday, we will issue a notice to them and take appropriate action," said Parab.

The blaze erupted between 6.45 am to 7 am in Sachinam Heights building, a ground plus 20-storey structure located opposite Bhatia Hospital at Gowalia Tank area in south Mumbai when the majority of its residents were still asleep. The fire is suspected to have spread through the electrical duct right through the length of the building, resulting in thick smoke all over. Flat No 1904, where the fire burst out, was gutted, along with parts of corridors on the 19th floor.

Parab said "The firefighting equipment was not functional, nor had the building submitted the mandatory bi-annual fire audit report. Besides, there was a complete lack of first response to the mishap from the society, staff or people available at the spot. Nobody was able to show the firefighters the water pumps available in the building. All these factors doubled the efforts by the firefighters, from ground to all the way up to the 19th floor. This wasted enough time and led the fire to multiply and spread. Had the fire fighting system in the building functional, the damage to lives and property would have been lesser as compared to what happened."

Meanwhile, short-circuit was the prima facie cause of the fire, the MFB has said. However, the municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had set up a committee headed by a deputy municipal commissioner (zone 2) to investigate the incident, the probe in the matter is currently on.