22 October,2023 12:47 PM IST | Mumbai | Prasun Choudhari
A fire had erupted on the first floor of Dadar`s Kirtikar Market
A fire erupted on the first floor of Dadar's Kirtikar Mandai (Market), near Kabutar Khana in central Mumbai, engulfing the popular Prabhat Grahak Bazar supermarket. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday. The cause of the blaze still remains a mystery, leaving the owners of the supermarket and other shops in a state of shock.
While no casualties were reported in the incident, preliminary estimates by the supermarket's owner suggest that the damage caused by this fire might have reached a minimum of Rs 90 lakhs to one crore.
According to a civic official, the incident was reported at 01:39 am by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB). Furthermore, the officials stated that the fire was extinguished by 04:40 am, and no injuries were reported.
Arif Premain, the owner of Prabhat Grahak Bazar, expressed his deep anguish over the loss. "I am in shock; this is a nightmare. My supermarket was not just a place of business but a community hub, serving the people of Dadar as well as many parts of Mumbai. I am heartbroken to witness it reduced to ashes."
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He added, "I received a call almost post-midnight, saying that there was smoke coming from the first floor of the Mandai. On arrival, we opened the door to see that the smoke was coming from my supermarket. Myself, along with some other store owners and employees, broke the windows so that the smoke would not remain trapped in the store. While we were breaking the windows, the fire department was notified of the fire, and they arrived within 10 minutes to take over the firefighting. It still gives me chills down my spine thinking about what I had seen. We estimate the damage to be around 1 crore rupees. The fire not just burnt the goods but also engulfed the entire furniture and air conditioning system. Luckily, it was nighttime, and no one was present in the store. I am still petrified to go upstairs."
Sources from the Mumbai Fire Brigade said, "The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. We will conduct a thorough examination of the site, including assessing security camera footage and interviewing witnesses to piece together the events leading to the blaze. There have been no reports of casualties, and the fire was brought under control and doused off by 4:40 am."
The BMC's Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the neighborhood police, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), and ward staff all moved immediately to the spot to put out the fire and ensure the safety of the neighborhood. Another shopkeeper said, "Firefighters arrived promptly, battling the blaze with relentless courage to prevent it from spreading to adjacent shops in the market."
The financial implications of the fire are profound, with the estimated loss reaching approximately one crore rupees. This loss encompasses the inventory, equipment, and infrastructure of Prabhat Grahak Bazar, and it will take considerable efforts to rebuild and restore the supermarket to its former glory, the owner and other eyewitnesses expressed.
