A survivor of the Kamala Mills fire, which claimed the lives of 14 people, on Friday expressed his ordeal and said that the exit gate was too narrow to escape and there were no fire safety measures to tackle such situations.
Speaking to ANI, survivor Siddharth Shroff, who received 20 percent burn, said, "We were in the above restaurant in Kamala Mills when the fire broke at around 12:30 am. The roof started to fall down and we all were struggling to go out from the exit gate. The exit gate was very narrow due to which we faced a lot of problem in escaping. One of my friends had come from America who was also there with me. There was no fire safety measure."
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He added that the fire was spreading rapidly and many were stuck in the washroom.
"My shirt had caught fire and I started asking for help. Somebody from the Kamala Mill came to us and took us to the hospital in his car. There were around 150 people and I was with six to seven cousins of mine. It was kind of a stampede situation, very horrific. I received 20 percent burn and my friend got 35 percent burn," Shroff stated.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told media, "This incident is very unfortunate and disheartening. I have ordered Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner to conduct an inquiry and five people have been suspended by now."
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He added that action is being taken against the owners, who have also been held responsible for the deaths, and suitable Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections will be charged to them.
Several others were injured in the fire that broke out in the rooftop restaurant in the Kamala Mills Compound early on Friday.
According to reports, the blaze was reported from the Mojo's Bistro restaurant and it quickly spread to the neighbouring restaurant.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The fire is suspected to be triggered by an electrical short-circuit.
Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. (ANI)
