Mumbai, 29 April

NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique on Tuesday blamed the fire department for failing to control the blaze that broke out at the Croma showroom located in the Link Square Mall in Bandra.
A fire broke out early Tuesday morning at the Croma showroom, located in the basement of Link Square Mall, situated on Linking Road in Bandra West, Mumbai, according to officials. The fire was first reported at 4.11 am, and by 4.49 am, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) had declared it a Level-III fire, indicating a serious situation.
Speaking to the mediapersons, NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique said, "We have been here since 4 am. The fire department has failed to control the fire... It could have easily been controlled initially, but the fire officers were ill-equipped. There was just a small spark in the basement of the Croma store, and it could have been easily controlled if action had been taken in time. However, the fire officers were not properly equipped, and even when they had the necessary equipment, they didn't use it correctly."
Siddique alleged that the fire, which began as a small spark around 4 am, could have been easily brought under control if the fire brigade had responded effectively.
"We kept requesting them to supply more water, but nothing was done. Even when some parts of the store were still burning, they were unable to handle the situation. When we arrived at 4 am, no one from the fire brigade or police was there. I had to call the Special Commissioner at 6 am before anything happened. I warned them that there were gas cylinders in the restaurants above and that this could lead to a massive explosion. Still, no one took it seriously. It's really unfortunate. Many officers in the Mumbai Fire Brigade are capable, but without proper equipment or training, their efforts are wasted. If there were 100 people inside that building, many lives could have been lost. We have videos showing how poorly the situation was handled. This is a very serious issue, and the officer in charge must be held responsible for the damage caused," Siddique said.
He also pointed out that there was no presence of fire brigade or police officials when he arrived. Siddique further warned that the situation could have been far more dangerous due to gas cylinders stored in restaurants above the fire site.