Masjid Bunder fire: Most of our goods melted before our eyes, say shopkeepers

Fire that gutted five shops at junction of Abdul Rehman and Jhanjikar Streets on Saturday has left shopkeepers with no insurance reeling

Urmi Shah, the daughter of the owner of one of five cosmetics and imitation jewellery shops that were gutted in a blaze that broke out on Abdul Rehman Street at Masjid Bunder on Saturday night, is distraught. She said, “Most of the goods melted away while others got coated with black dust. We need to replace our entire stock.” 

Five cosmetics and imitation jewellery shops on Abdul Rehman Street at Masjid Bunder were damaged in a fire on Saturday night when the market was about to close for the weekend. Two to three other establishments were partially burnt.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out around 7.45 pm after a blast occurred in the AC unit of one of the shops. A green net and bamboo scaffolding on the opposite building, Tohfa, also caught fire, exacerbating the situation. Though no one was injured, shopkeepers have faced losses.

Fire brigade personnel attempt to douse the fire that broke out on Abdul Rehman Street at Masjid Bunder on Saturday. Pics/Ashish Raje

In October 2020, a massive fire broke out at Cutlery Market, which is a few metres away from these shops. The 2020 fire was doused after 45 hours.

After the fire broke out on Saturday, the Mumbai Fire Brigade sent four fire engines along with three jumbo tankers to the spot.

Shop owners claimed that they tried to douse the flames with the help of fire extinguishers before the arrival of the fire brigade but the conflagration spread to the net of the opposite building thanks to electrical wiring in the congested shops and the wind. The front side of the second, third and fourth floors of Tohfa was charred but the flames didn’t enter the building in which cosmetics, imitation jewellery, bags and inflammable materials are stored.

Anis Zakaria, who runs Zakaria Abdul Shakur and Company, which is eight shops away from the one which caught fire, said, “My grandfather started this cosmetic shop in 1937 which we converted into an imitation jewellery store in 2000. On Saturday, we were in the shop when we heard a loud sound. We came out of our shop and pulled the shutters down. There was a fire in the AC unit of the shop at the corner. Everybody ran towards the spot and started dousing the fire with extinguishers.”

Also See: In Photos: Fire destroys 20 shops in south Mumbai's Abdul Rehman Street

Though the fire didn’t enter Zakaria’s shop ash had blown all over his goods.

Shafik Khan, a worker at Dehab Hair Accessories, another establishment in the area, said the fire was very small initially, but it started spreading rapidly. “Even the fire brigade took an hour to reach the spot. There were many cables connecting one building to the other,” he said.

Nilesh Sarvaiya, the owner of a chocolate shop, said his wares melted due to the sheer heat generated by the blaze. “A worker and I were in the shop. In fact, we were about to close for the day but we came out immediately after the fire broke out. The fire brigade reached in time but the roads are narrow and there was also a huge crowd,” he said.

Urmi Shah, the daughter of the owner of one of the imitation jewellery shops that were gutted in the blaze said, “Most of the goods melted away while others got coated in black dust. We need to replace our entire stock.” She added that since they didn’t have insurance, they would have to simply bear the losses. 

The team from the BEST visited the site and inspected the shops on Sunday. “It may take a few days to restore the electricity to these shops as well as those in the Tohfa building. Till then the shops cannot run,” said a civic employee. 

Sanjay Majrekar, chief fire officer, said, “Shops in congested areas must have fire extinguishers. Had they been used properly, the fire would not have spread to so many shops. They must receive training on how to use extinguishers. The green net on the opposite building caught fire, increasing the severity of the fire. A major incident has been averted.”

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Day in January when fire broke out

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