Property worth lakhs destroyed by fire in Malad (West)

Palm Springs building in Malad (W)

As per the BMC’s Disaster Management Cell records, massive fire was reported at the Palm Springs building in Malad (W) on September 1, 2015. Smoke was seen billowing out of one of the offices on the fifth floor at 11:56 am here on Monday. No casualties were reported or nobody trapped inside as the occupants quickly vacated the building. A fire department official confirmed that eight fire engines and five water tankers were rushed to the spot and the fire was completely doused at about 2.20 pm. The blaze was probably caused due to short-circuit, fire officials presume.

“The Palm Springs building on the Link Road had serious safety lapses”, the firefighters said. “Not a single fire-fighting equipment inside the building was functional”, they added. A notice has also been issued to the building owner and the power supply has been cut off upon instructions of the Fire Brigade as it lacks adequate fire-safety measures.

Property worth lakhs of rupees was gutted in the fire in the eight-storey commercial building. This incident is yet another reminder of the complete disregard for the fire safety norms in the city’s buildings, both residential and commercial.

A fire had broken out in Kenilworth Mall on the Linking Road in Bandra (W) less than a month ago. Probes revealed that several illegal alterations, unattended cylinders on the terrace, and lack of fire-fighting equipment had resulted in the destruction.

“It is not practicable for the fire department to ensure that each and every building in the city maintains its fire equipment. Building owners should assume this serious responsibility to prevent such avoidable tragedies,” the fire brigade officials stated.