3 dead in blaze in hotel that civic officials had flagged fire safety norms

BMC official said hotel allegedly made structural changes and action would be taken by the civic body's building and factory department for such violation of norms

Three persons died in a fire that broke out on Sunday afternoon in a hotel in Santacruz East in Mumbai that civic officials said had been issued a notice for failure to adhere to fire safety norms and had even been taken to court over it.

The blaze broke out on the third floor of the ground-plus-four Galaxy Hotel in Prabhat Colony at 1:10pm and gutted the electric wiring, power installations,air-conditioning, curtains, mattresses, wood furniture in a couple of rooms and common areas like the duct, staircase and lobby, a fire brigade official said.

"Three persons identified as Rupal Kanji (25), Kishan (28) and Kantilal Gordhan Vara (48) were declared brought dead by hospital authorities. Alfa Vakhariya (19) and Manjula Vakhariya (49) are injured and are under treatment," he said.

"The fire gutted wiring, furniture, air conditioning. mattresses in room number 103 and 203, while it also destroyed clothes for laundry, room blankets in the staircase and lobby as well as wiring in the common duct from the first to third floor," the official said.

Speaking about the incident, BMC H/East Ward Health Officer Dr Satish Badgire said,"We had recently issued a notice to Galaxy Hotel for failure to adhere to fire safety norms. We filed a case against it in court but no one from the hotel's side has replied to our notice."

Another BMC official said the hotel allegedly made structural changes and action would be taken by the civic body's building and factory department for such violation of norms.

The blaze, categorised as Level I as per fire brigade norms, was doused at 3:20pm using three hose lines, one high pressure first aid line as well as four fire engines, four water tankers and other equipment, the official informed.