Mumbai: Fire at Prime Mall in Vile Parle West; 1 hurt, 20 shops damaged

Firefighters put out the blaze at Prime Mall, Vile Parle, on Friday. Pic/Satej Shinde

One person was injured and 20-odd shops inside the Prime Mall in Vile Parle were damaged after a fire broke out on Friday morning. A fireman was also wounded during the firefighting operation, said officials. The hurt civilian is undergoing treatment at Cooper Hospital.

A shop owner said a short-circuit caused the fire. "When the short-circuit happened, our security staff immediately spotted the fire and put it out with the extinguisher. But unfortunately, the sparks had already entered the duct and caused heavy smoke throughout the premises. We are unable to assess the damage, and hope to be allowed inside by Saturday," said Akram Faruqui, a shop owner.

The fire officials said the cause of the blaze is under investigation, and they will also examine if there were any irregularities in the mall. The street at Irla market where the mall is located was shut till 3 pm, as officials feared the glass might shatter. The fire officials said the blaze was brought under control because of timely intervention and proper coordination of the firemen. Otherwise, it could have been even serious, like the City Centre Mall fire that was doused after 56 hours, they added.

Smoke spread fast

Thirteen fire engines, eight water tankers and one Table Turner Ladder were put to service to douse the fire that had engulfed almost half of the mall, said officials. The smoke spread through the ducts very fast. The shutters of the galas were made of perforated sheets which helped the smoke and fire to travel faster, said officials. As the incident took place in the morning, shop owners had just started coming.

A fire official, not willing to be named, said, "When we arrived, we were told that a person was stuck in a toilet, but we checked and found nobody. Later, we were informed that no one was missing. We are yet to ascertain the damage, but prima facie it seems 20-odd galas were damaged."

Mamta Shah, owner of a designer studio, said, "I have clients for three to four weddings that are lined up in the next few days. I am hopeful that there is not much damage, as my store is on the other side of the incident spot in the mall." Mohammad A Shaikh, a street vendor, said, "The entire Irla market was shut and we were not allowed to operate till 3 pm, when the fire was doused."