Mumbai: Fifteen people including 12 women died and nearly a dozen were injured in a major fire late on Thursday night at Mumbai's Kamala Mills compound that houses several offices and restaurants.
Once an industrial area in central Mumbai's Lower Parel locality, the 37-acre premises houses a host of swanky restaurants that had moved in over the last few years to make it a popular nightlife destination.
The injured were rushed to the King Edward Memorial Hospital, or KEM, about three kilometres away. The hospital dean, Avinash N Supe, confirmed 14 deaths in the tragedy.
According to initial reports, the fire is suspected to have started at a restaurant, Mojo Bistro a little after 12.30 am on Thursday and spread quickly. Witnesses said the entire building was engulfed in flames in less than half-an-hour.
It took the fire department over two hours to control the blaze.
Several news channels also operate from the compound and had to shut down broadcast, reportedly due to damage to their equipment.
The fire could have started due to a short circuit, an official of the city's fire engine department associated with the effort to extinguish the flames said. He suspected fire safety norms had been flouted by some restaurants in the complex.
S Jay Kumar, a senior Mumbai police officer said he could not speak on the cause of fire. "We have started our investigation... It is only after investigation that we will be able to say anything," he said.
Shiv Sena lawmaker Sunil Shinde who also reached the hospital demanded a "proper inquiry".
"Who has given them (restaurants) the licence? They are responsible for this incident," he told reporters.
Fire breaks out at a building in Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel, Mumbai.
