Fire Brigade Issues Notice to Vile Parle Building After Fatal 11th-Floor Blaze
The Mumbai Fire Brigade has issued a notice to Shanta Bhuvan CHS on Baptista Road in Vile Parle after a fatal fire gutted an 11th-floor apartment, finding that the building's firefighting apparatus was switched to manual mode during the incident.
The blaze, which broke out around 10pm on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of two-year-old Abir Vatavia and his 23-year-old nanny, Ankita Chetri, likely due to suffocation.
According to fire officials, switching the equipment from auto mode to manual mode rendered the system ineffective during the emergency. Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Prakash Sakpal confirmed that a J-form notice was served to the society directing them to restore the apparatus to functional status and ensure full fire safety compliances.
Officials have not yet determined the exact cause of the fire because family members have been unable to record statements. Sakpal stated that prime eyewitness and grandfather Hiren Vatavia was not yet in a position to speak with investigators during an initial site visit.
Following the incident, the residential building remained without water and electricity connections. Sakpal explained that licensed private electrical contractors are inspecting electrical installations across the structure, as water used during firefighting operations had entered rooms and electrical fittings. Power will remain cut until all connections pass fire safety checks. The building's lift also stopped operating, with personnel from Schindler called in to inspect the mechanism.
Chetri's body remained unclaimed for 39 hours following the incident, delaying the post-mortem examination at Dr R N Cooper Hospital until a relative could complete the formal process. A hospital doctor noted that procedures required a formal claim from family, accompanied by a government-attested no-objection certificate from her mother in Siliguri.
Chetri's maternal aunt, Kamala Karkhi, who works in Juhu, arrived on Thursday evening to claim the body. According to Karkhi, Chetri had moved to Mumbai a few months ago and was the primary earning member supporting her parents and two unemployed brothers. Social activist Rajesh Mehta noted that the Vatavia family has assured financial support to Chetri's family.
