Kamathipura fire: BMC finds several illegalities in China Building

A day after a fire broke out at China Building, a ground-plus-one-storey structure at Kamathipura, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said there were several illegalities in the building.

According to the civic body, the residential building had commercial shops but there were no records of licenses issued to them, and added that the shops may have been running illegally.

The building is a cessed structure looked after by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada).

Prashant Gaikwad, assistant municipal commissioner of BMC’s D ward, said, “We have not found any records of licenses for commercial activities in the building that caught fire on Monday, and prima facie it looks illegal. Accordingly, we will inform the police to take appropriate action. Considering the building comes under Mhada, the building authority will oversee formalities related to the structure and its redevelopment.”

Gaikwad said, “We are awaiting the investigation report from the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) to ascertain the cause of the fire.”

On Monday around 9.15am, a major fire broke out in the building, gutting 27 commercial and residential units, and leaving eight persons, including a minor, injured.

While the MFB suspects a short circuit was responsible for the blaze, they are yet to confirm the same.

“We are undertaking the investigation and it will take a minimum of two weeks to complete it. We will go through the legalities of the fire safety norms followed and take statements from eye-witnesses before confirming the cause of the fire,” said an MFB official, who did not wish to be named.