Mumbai Kamala Mills Fire: Police sends forensic samples to FSL after 4 days

Mumbai: Mumbai police have finally sent the forensic samples, collected from the spot of Kamala Mills fire, to state’s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Kalina on Tuesday, confirmed a senior officer. The cause of massive fire at 1Above pub in Kamala Mills compound last week has not yet been ascertained. Hence, the authorities concerned are banking heavily on the forensic report to ascertain the cause of fire.

Authorities have not yet to come up with the reason of blaze in which over a dozen people died of asphyxia. After examining the charred remains, the FSL report can come up with the reason whether bartender’s antics with fire, smouldering coal used in hookah or a short circuit caused the blaze.

However, an officer from Kalina-based FSL said, “The samples were collected on Friday and I need to check if the city police have sent the forensic samples to us. It was a huge fire and I doubt the evidence collected from the spot could give us lead to know the reason. Because the samples should have been immediately sent to us. After five or six days how we will examine if any inflammables like kerosene, petrol or camphor caused the blaze. All these inflammables would evaporate by now.”

“If the forensic evidence is completely ash, it will be impossible for us to ascertain the cause of fire, because the temperature of the air near the impact location is heated to a temperature of from about 2000 degrees Celsius to about 3000 degrees Celsius. And all the evidences would burn into ashes,” said the FSL officer.