Deadline to understand Kalbadevi fire cause extended

Getting to the root cause of Kalbadevi fire will take another week, according to officials. The sub-committee of the inquiry panel formed to probe what led to the blaze in Gokul Niwas building will submit its report after a week, as against its scheduled deadline of Friday.

A member of the committee said they are facing a lot of difficulties in the investigation process as they have to depend on locals and eyewitnesses. A letter to this effect was sent to the inquiry panel.

The fire that broke out on May 9 killed fire officers SW Rane, Mahendra Desai and Sudhir Amin and left chief fire officer Sunil Nesarikar critically injured with 50% burns.

As per preliminary investigation, the fire aggravated due to the presence of LPG, thinners and scaffolding. According to an official, the fire investigation report will include geographical details of the spot, problems faced during the firefighting process, suggestions for SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to be followed in such incidents.

Deputy chief fire officer Prabhat Ranhangdale informed that basic investigations show that Nesarikar and his team were standing outside the building and not inside, as most people perceived. "It did not fall like a pack of cards but was a hollow collapse. First part of the building collapsed horizontally on Nesarikar, and other officers got stuck in the debris," he added