ESIC hospital fire: Hospital had no permission to store 20 LPG cylinders claims fire brigade report

Written by Sanjana Bhalerao

The investigation by the Mumbai Fire Brigade into the fire at Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospital in Marol that killed 11 patients revealed that 20 LPG cylinders were stored in the hospital canteen without the requisite permission.

“During the investigation it was noted that canteen activities were being carried out on the ground floor with 20 LPG cylinders below the staircase. It is highly objectionable from fire risk and life safety point of view,” read the fire brigade’s report submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) on Monday.

Located in the MIDC area in Marol, Andheri (East), the hospital falls under the jurisdiction of the MIDC fire services. While talking to The Indian Express about the permission to store the LPG cylinders in the hospital, V M Ogale, deputy chief fire officer said, “I am yet to read the fire investigation report. But we had not received any application from the hospital authority regarding storage of the cylinders.”

The fire brigade has recommended the CEO of MIDC to verify necessary documents of the ESIC hospital pertaining to the authenticity, occupation of the structure and trade activities.

The investigation also concluded that the sparks from welding had fallen through the open fire duct and came in contact with the combustible material like stock of Nitrile rubber insulating materials, adhesives, wooden boxes stored near the fire duct on the ground floor.

The four-storey building housing the ESIC hospital did not have either a no objection certificate from the fire department nor an occupation certificate from the municipality, though it has been in operation since 1973.

Ogale said, “We are conducting a survey of all the buildings under our jurisdiction for the fire safety compliance.”