Bandra fire report in, cause unknown

After more than three weeks of investigation, the Mumbai fire brigade has not been able to find the cause of the Garib Nagar fire, which gutted more than 700 shanties and rendered over 2,000 people homeless. One person was killed in the March 5 incident.

The fire brigade has submitted its investigation report to the Nirmal Nagar police station recently regarding the raging inferno which engulfed the entire Garib Nagar slums situated along the railway tracks in Bandra (East).

Senior inspector Prashant Bagade of the Nirmal Nagar police station said: “We have questioned several witnesses. After that, we came to the conclusion that it was a case of a short-circuit from the electric DP which was situated in the locality. We also informed the electric department, and it also investigated on its own but failed to find the cause of the fire,” said Bagade.

“There were rumours doing the rounds that the fire was deliberately caused so that the area could go under redevelopment. That, however, is not true, because the Garib Nagar slums are situated on encroached railway land that belongs to the railways,” said an officer from the Nirmal Nagar police station.

“It appears that the fire was incidental. But we have investigated all possible angles. We have not yet registered a case against anyone,” the officer added.