A birthday party turned out to be a death party for at least 15 attendees at a posh restaurant in Mumbai late Thursday night. Kamala Mills compound, a refurbished complex of a defunct textile mill in Lower Parel in central Mumbai, that houses swanky restaurants, cafes and bars as well as several media offices, was the scene of the tragedy.
A 28-year-old woman was celebrating her birthday at 1 Above rooftop restaurant when the fire started, according to police reports. Soon it engulfed the rest of the commercial complex and spread to neighbouring buildings. By the time fire engines arrived, 15 people, including the birthday woman, several of her friends and relatives lost their lives in the blaze. Over a dozen people were injured.
The fire has affected the transmission towers of Times Now, Mirror Now, ET Now, Zoom TV and TV 9 Marathi channels, rendering them non-operational.
The midnight blaze has once again brought into sharp focus fire safety standards and their lackadaisical implementation in commercial complexes in metropolitan areas of the country.
