The Bandra police have registered an offence against two officials of the Maharashtra Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) in connection with a fire that broke out in the telecommunication agency’s office in Bandra last month.
According to officers of the fire brigade, the blaze broke out in the telephone exchange in Bandra on July 22 and was declared a Level IV emergency due to the intensity of the flames. Over 80 employees were rescued from the terrace of the building by firefighters, and investigations later indicated that the fire had broken out in the electrical wiring and spread through a large quantity of combustible material and false ceilings in the building.
“In 2018, too, a minor fire had broken out in the building and in that instance, it was observed that the firefighting system in the building was not in working condition. While this was fixed at the time, the authorities concerned at MTNL failed to maintain it, leading to the recent incident,” Chief Fire Officer Prabhat Rahangdale, Mumbai Fire Brigade, said.
The fire brigade registered an FIR with the Bandra police regarding the matter against senior manager S.D. Panditrao and deputy manager B.Y. Patil.
“The FIR was filed against the officers of the MTNL on Monday as it was their responsibility to maintain a robust fire safety mechanism. The duo has been booked for causing injury and endangering life due to negligence, under the Indian Penal Code,” senior police inspector Vijaylakshmi Hiremath said.
She said the fire brigade has issued a notice to the MTNL under the Maharashtra Fire Act and Rules, and that the MTNL has suspended both the officers.