Mumbai: Bandra mall fire doused after 22 hours, no injuries reported

The Link Square Mall, the three-storey building where the fire broke out, on Linking Road in Bandra West on April 29. Pic/Atul Kamble

A massive fire that broke out at Link Square Mall in Mumbai's Bandra West locality was finally brought under control after more than 22 hours of continuous firefighting, civic authorities confirmed early on Wednesday.

According to PTI, the blaze first erupted around 4:10 am on Tuesday in the basement of the three-storey commercial structure located on Linking Road. The fire, which began in an electronics showroom, rapidly spread to the upper floors of the mall, which houses more than 200 shops and establishments.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade classified the incident as a Level IV (major) fire by 6:25 am on Tuesday, prompting a full-scale emergency response. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also joined the operation to help contain the flames and ensure safety in the area.

Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported, civic officials told PTI. However, the mall suffered extensive damage, with large portions completely gutted by the fire.

It took around 13 hours to initially bring the fire under control with the help of 13 fire engines and several water tankers and firefighting vehicles. The final extinguishing of remaining hot spots and smouldering materials continued until 1:41 am on Wednesday.

Ravindra Ambulgekar, Chief of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, stated that an inquiry has been launched into the cause of the fire. Speaking to news agency PTI, he said, "The mall was packed with combustible items, and there were no proper access routes. Partitioned layouts inside made navigation extremely difficult. Smoke and fire easily travelled between shops through mesh shutters."

Questions have been raised over the handling of the situation. Former legislator Zeeshan Siddique alleged that lapses in response contributed to the spread of the blaze. In response, Maharashtra cabinet minister and local BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said he has directed the civic commissioner, Bhushan Gagrani, to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

This incident happened just two days after another big fire on Sunday at a building with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Mumbai's Ballard Estate. The fire, reported at approximately 2.31 am at the Kaiser-I-Hind building, involved a fire that was initially confined to wooden furniture and office materials located on the fourth floor of the building. The structure, a basement-plus-ground-plus-upper-four-floors building with an attic, faced significant challenges due to smoke logging on the fourth floor. Firefighters struggled to access certain areas because of obstructing furniture stock that was kept in common passages and balconies.

(With inputs from PTI)