Mumbai: Civic officials say Bandra mall may take months to reopen after fire

The charred remains of Link Square Mall, on Linking Road, Bandra West where a fire broke out on April 29. Pic/Shadab Khan

Cooling operations at the fire-ravaged Link Square Mall in Bandra West are still ongoing and will be followed by a structural audit conducted by a private agency. Only after the audit and necessary repairs will the mall be certified for reopening - a process that could take weeks or even months, civic and police officials said on Wednesday. The black shell of the mall seemed to have drawn passers-by by the droves, with some local vendors saying they had come to offer moral support to those who had lost so much in the fire.

Several shopkeepers in the vicinity of the blaze that gutted the mall on Tuesday said, "Most of us learnt of the fire through our phones, very early that day. We saw messages that the mall was on fire, and it was a very strong blaze with firefighters on the scene. We got messages first. Pictures and videos started buzzing on WhatsApp hours later."

Retail and ruins

A day later, on Wednesday afternoon, footfall-dense Linking Road, a shopper's paradise, was still busy, but there was a difference. There was a sombre air throughout, and even shoppers were muted with their cheery retail therapy toned down. Many meandered down the road to look at what is a shell of a mall. An acrid, slight burning smell hung in the air. The approach to the burn site inside the lane had been cordoned off with cops stopping those who were trying to make their way through the heavy yellow barricades. There were at least seven fire trucks lined up as one approached, and a police van stood amidst them too. Firefighters milled around waiting for instructions from their ‘seniors'.

The charred remains of Link Square Mall, a three-storey building on Linking Road, where a fire broke out in Bandra on April 29. Pic/Shadab Khan

A group of men outside a restaurant, which was filling up as lunchtime approached, eyed the press warily. "We are here on some work," they said. "We do not know much; you ask that man," they said, indicating another gent. They gave their names as Ajit and Haresh. "That man" was one Mohammed S, who said, "I own a footwear shop nearby. We need to support those caught up in the tragedy. I am here to support them through my presence, customers will come to buy my footwear. Yet, today is the day to think about those who have lost so much."

Site and sight

The ubiquitous mobile phones were out in full force, with people taking pictures. A passerby, Naif G, stopped behind the barricade. He was with his family. He said, "I am from Santacruz. I pass by here sporadically. I heard about the fire on the news. I thought it could have been contained quickly. It blazed for very long, I read." Many like this gent pointed to how this high-profile mall, with its shops, restaurants and mobile phone outlets, was a must-visit when they visited Bandra. Naif said, "This was an excellent place. Days ago, my brother-in-law who was down from overseas bought a couple of T-shirts from here. The mall had a wide variety of items."

By now, it was early afternoon, the sun seared a literal hole through one's skin. The façade of the burnt building, though broken and blackened in places, seemed to say: ‘If you think this heat is bad, you should have seen me burning'. It was eerie seeing the carnage. Burnt garments, many denim jeans hung over the outer edge of the building. Footwear was visible near wires protruding from the structure. Two men overheard talking amongst themselves were of the opinion that the fire was "zabardast". They conversed that, "poora khalaas ho gaya [it is totally finished]". A harried gent who gave his name only as "Merchant" said, "I had a garment store inside, I do not know what is going to happen now. Sorry, I cannot speak to you, I am very busy."

They remember

A Bandra resident looked stupefied when she saw the building. "This is sad and disturbing," she said. "I come in here every day to buy laces," said Veena V. "It is not about the inconvenience; this is not a time to think about that. This is a time to think about those who have lost a lot," she added, before moving away.

A few garment shops opposite the burnt building were shuttered. "We will re-open in two or three days. We sell ladies' jeans. It will not be right if we open our shops now," said one Sayyed A. "We have to be there for our friends. We have maintained dosti [friendship] for so many years," added other shop owners, who did not want to give their names. "There were stores inside selling expensive jeans from Bangkok, there was cash inside... all that must be lost," they added.

A woman from Goregaon arrived to see the spot. "Thank God no lives were lost," she said, looking at the building and hopping into a rickshaw. The three-wheeled ‘kaali peelis' were slowing down outside the site as commuters looked curious. A rickshaw driver who identified himself as "Shaikh" said, "I have never seen a blaze like this. The smoke was visible all the way up to Bandra station; that is no exaggeration. The smoke was dense, and several people believed there was an impending thunderstorm as the skies had blackened."

As one left the place, the mall seemed to be standing precariously, its blackened exterior speaking of livelihoods lost, lives upended. The thick smoke had disappeared... for many, the memories will linger.

‘This mall will come up again'

Zeeshan Siddique, a former MLA whose family owns the mall, said, "I was at the spot on Wednesday. The cooling-off period is ongoing and should end today [Thursday]. The exterior is blackened, and we have not been allowed to enter the mall as the cooling period is on. We will be able to see the damage once we are allowed to go in. That is when we can truly assess the quantum of damage."

Zeeshan asserted, though, in response to a question as to whether he thought the building would be brought down, "No, I can understand all the conjecture and chatter at the spot. Yet, this mall will come up once again." Zeeshan said, "My father [the late Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique] was passionate about having a mall there. The construction work started in 2005 and was completed in 2009. Severa commercial places had not done well in this space, but this mall has always done well."