Mumbai: 3 dead after blaze breaks out in hotel facing case for fire safety norms violation

Mumbai: At least three persons died and two others injured in a fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon in a hotel in suburban Santacruz in Mumbai, officials said.

Officials said the Mumbai civic body had recently issued a notice to Galaxy Hotel, where the blaze erupted, for failure to adhere to fire safety norms, and a case was filed in court. The hotel had also allegedly made some structural changes.

The blaze broke out on the third floor of the ground-plus-four-story Galaxy Hotel in Prabhat Colony at 1:10 pm and gutted the electric wiring, power installations, air-conditioning system, curtains, mattresses, wood furniture in a couple of rooms and common areas like the duct, staircase and lobby, a fire brigade official said.

“Three persons, identified as Rupal Kanji (25), Kishan (28) and Kantilal Gordhan Vara (48), were declared brought dead by hospital authorities. Alfa Vakhariya (19) and Manjula Vakhariya (49) are injured and are under treatment,” he said.

The fire gutted wiring, furniture, air conditioning, and mattresses in room numbers 103 and 203, while it also destroyed clothes for laundry, room blankets in the staircase and lobby as well as wiring in the common duct from the first to third floor, the official said.

The blaze, categorised as Level I as per fire brigade norms, was doused at 3:20 pm using three hose lines, one high-pressure first aid line as well as four fire engines, four water tankers and other equipment, the official informed.

Speaking about the incident, BMC H/East Ward Health Officer Dr Satish Badgire said, “We had recently issued a notice to Galaxy Hotel for failure to adhere to fire safety norms. We filed a case against it in court but no one from the hotel’s side has replied to our notice.”

Another BMC official said the hotel allegedly made structural changes and action would be taken by the civic body’s building and factory department for such violation of norms.

The Mumbai Police have registered three different Accidental Death Reports (ADRs), an official said.

“We are awaiting the report of the Fire department to ascertain whether the hotel, which is in the hospitality business, has violated norms,” he said.

The police official said necessary action would be taken against the concerned person related to the hotel once the report is received.