Although there was no casualty, 17 fire engines, eight jumbo water tankers, and 120 firemen were required to tame the blaze
A major fire broke out in a scrap yard in Mankhurd Mandala on Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road early morning on Sunday, which gutted around 50 to 60 commercial structures. Most of the structures were temporary ones and had huge amounts of combustible material stored inside.
The fire brigade was informed at 6.03 am and it took them more than five hours to douse the fire. The cooling operations went on till late Sunday evening. Although there was no casualty, 17 fire engines, eight jumbo water tankers, and 120 firemen were required to tame the blaze.
"The fire had spread to a total area about eight lakh sq feet, due to massive encroachments up to the mangroves. The fire spread rapidly due to inflammable material and scrap such as oil, chemicals, plastic drums, plastic bottles, electric wiring, plywood, etc, stored there," informed Chief Fire Officer PS Rahangdale.
"We have instructed the BMC ward officer to demolish the unauthorised structures and lodge an FIR with the concerned police station," Rahangdale said.
The Mandala area has a huge scrap yard, called the Kurla scrap yard. The scrap yard, which was originally located CST Road in Kurla, was shifted to Mankhurd Mandala several years ago. However, out of the 1000 commercial structures present there, barely 175 are legal.
Shrinivas Kilje, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, M-East Ward, BMC, said: "Although we have been instructed to demolish the illegal structures, the land belongs to the collector. At best,we can provide the logistics to the collector's office; they need to carry out the demolition. The collector's office is well aware of the unauthorised commercial structures that have mushroomed in the area," Kilje said.
Suhas Hemade, inspector, Mankhurd police station, said: "An FIR will be registered against the owners and tenants of the structures on Monday for the negligence that caused the fire."
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