After facing criticism following major fire in the area, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturdaay began a demolition drive against illegal structures around Kamala Mills in Mumbai.
A devastating blaze at a central Mumbai pub claimed 14 lives on Thursday night. Fire brigade officials today said that it was probing whether flames during a fire stunt by a bartender, burning coal used for hookah or a short circuit led to the tragedy.
A BMC official confirmed that they have pulled down "illegal roofs" of two restaurants—-'Skyview Café' and 'Social' in Kamala Mills and encroachments of 'Pranay' and 'Fumes' and 'Sheesha Sky Lounge' at Raghuvanshi Mills in the same locality.
Action was also taken against some restaurants in Andheri, the official said.
"We have already formed several teams and are collecting information about the hotels and restaurants, after getting complaints of unauthorised constructions by them. Several ward officers are also carrying out inspection and razing such illegal structures," BMC spokesperson Ram Dotonde said.
The blaze had started after 12.30 am on Friday at the '1 Above' pub on the terrace of Trade House Building in Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel, a commercial hub, resulting in collapse of its bamboo-propped canopy. The fire, which left several people injured, also engulfed Mojo's Bistro, a pub a storey below. Most of the 14 victims died of asphyxiation.
The police have booked Hratesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Manka of C Grade Hospitality, which manages the pub, along with others, under IPC sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).
The BMC yesterday suspended five officials, including those attached to the G- South ward for dereliction of duty. There are allegations that civic authorities turned a blind eye to construction irregularities and violation of fire safety norms in the compound.
The same central Mumbai area--a former textile mill district now dotted by swanky glass-and-concrete towers--had witnessed death of 23 people in a stampede at a railway bridge on September 29 this year.
