Mumbai Fire Brigade Issues Notice to Vile Parle High-Rise After Fatal Fire

The Mumbai Fire Brigade on Thursday issued an official notice to a ground-plus-11-storey residential building in Vile Parle following a fatal fire on Tuesday night that claimed the lives of a two-year-old boy and a 23-year-old woman.

The notice was served after fire officials conducted a preliminary inquiry and uncovered major lapses in the building’s fire safety infrastructure. The fire brigade found that the building’s fire-fighting system had been kept in manual mode instead of automatic mode and was not generating adequate pressure. Although the system remained operational, officials noted that it was not functioning optimally or as required, raising serious questions over the property's fire-safety preparedness and routine maintenance.

The ground-plus-11-storey high-rise was developed by Labh Homes Creations, an entity owned by 64-year-old Hiren Batavia. Batavia is the grandfather of the deceased two-year-old boy and the owner of Flat 1102, the apartment where the fire first originated on Tuesday night.

Fire brigade officials are currently recording statements from Batavia's family members and other people who were present in the residential building to ascertain the exact circumstances of how the blaze started. A fire brigade official stated that investigators could not record statements on the day of the incident as the family was occupied with the funerals of the boy and the 23-year-old maid.

The fire brigade has given the housing society 15 days to rectify the operational lapses in its fire-fighting systems. Authorities stated that if the society fails to address the shortcomings within the 15-day timeline, prosecution action will be initiated.