A massive fire broke out on the fourth floor of Metro House in Colaba Causway road in Mumbai. After a Level III (major fire) alarm was raised about eight fire engines were rushed to the spot to tackle the situation. Two people trapped on the floor were rescued by firefighters and a major disaster was averted due to the alertness of occupants as they show uncanny presence of mind. The building houses Cafe Mondegar and McDonalds. The presence of these two restaurants could pose a major risk as they store and use gas cylinders. Navy did excellent spade work to douse flames with timely measure. However, with the municipality switching off the street lights, tourists and commuters alike went into panic mode, reminding many of the terror attack on the city. Fire audit in heritage building in VT, Colaba, Churchgate and Mantralaya area is a must to assess the exact position if a mishap occurs. Disaster management cell of BMC should receive a regular feedback on the state of affairs of these buildings existing from the British reign.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
