As the death toll from the Kamala Mills Fire in Lower Parel, Mumbai, grows, and survivors recount their horror at being trapped in the inferno, The Quint takes a look at the other fires that scorched Mumbai in 2017.
23 January
A fire in a slum between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Masjid railway stations on 23 January left two children injured. The fire also resulted in suspension of train services on two tracks of the railway line.
According to officials from the fire department, the blaze was reported in the LLC Compound in the Dana Bandar area in south Mumbai at around 6:15 pm on Monday, and was declared a Level III fire, signifying high intensity, by 6:22 pm.
11 February
A blaze ripped through the basement of Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai’s Parel on 11 February. No casualties or injuries were reported. The fire, which quickly grew in intensity to a ‘level 3 fire’ as categorised by the fire department, was confined to the hospital’s basement.
19 February
Four labourers died in a fire in a plastics factory in Bhiwandi on 19 February. Police said the fire broke out at Hari Om Compound in Thane in the morning. A total of 16 people were inside the building manufacturing plastic beads. The police said the fire started in the first-floor godown and spread to the ground floor from there.
22 April
A fire at South Mumbai’s Bank of India forced the emergency evacuation of nearly 300 people trapped in the building. The building is situated near the Bombay High Court. No casualties were reported.
The fire started on the building’s fourth floor. Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. A fire official said, “It was a level two fire which may have been caused by a short circuit. It was brought under control soon.”
16 May
A fire was reported from Mumbai's domestic airport, which was contained soon after. The fire broke out on the second floor of the terminal and according to reports was brought under control soon. No casualties or injuries were reported. Smoke was detected in office premises and four fire engines were rushed to the spot.
16 June
A fire broke out in Nateshwar Bhawan in Mumbai’s Khar area on 16 June. The three-storey building houses a dance institute run by Terence Lewis.
No one was injured in the fire, and everyone was safely evacuated.
6 September
Six people were killed in a fire that broke out in a building in Mumbai’s Vile Parle on 6 September. Of the six, five were labourers, while one was a child.
As many as 11 people were hospitalised with severe burns at the RN Cooper Hospital. Fire department officials said the blaze was aggravated by LPG cylinders and stoves found at the building.
6 October
A massive fire broke out at an oil tanker farm owned by the Mumbai Port Trust, on Butcher Island, off the east coast of Mumbai. Storage tanks containing petrol and diesel caught fire at Butcher Island, close to the Elephanta Island on the Thane creek near Mumbai on 6 October.
The fire blazed for many days even after firefighters brought it under control. No casualties were reported.
26 October
A cylinder burst caused a massive fire at Behrampada, adjacent to suburban Bandra station, in Mumbai on 26 October. The blaze, which came under control later in the night, left a total of five persons injured.
However, no other casualties were reported. A demolition drive was underway by the ward authorities when the fire broke out. According to survivors, the fire erupted due to the brazenness of the police.
Around 1,500 people were left homeless.
6 November
Arunachal Bhawan tower,opposite Mumbai’s Vashi Railway Station, was the site of a massive fire on 6 November. The fire spread through the upper floors of the immense building.
No casualties were reported, and those who escaped said they had no difficulties evacuating the building.
24 November
A fire broke out in a cloth godown in Zaveri Bazaar, Kalbadevi in South Mumbai on the evening of 24 November. The area is a renowned market for jewellery. Five fire tenders were rushed to the spot. While no casualties were reported, the clothing establishment/storehouse was gutted in the fire.
Police said the fire could have been caused by a short circuit.
18 December
The fire started in a shop in Mumbai’s Saki Naka during the early hours of 18 December and claimed the lives of 12 workers who were asleep on the premises.
According to the fire brigade chief, the fire started at the ground floor of the shop leading to people on the loft getting trapped due to intense heat and smoke. The loft collapsed shortly after.
The trapped workers, who were extracted by firemen from the debris and shifted to Rajawadi hospital, were declared dead on arrival.
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