Kamala Mills compound fire: 3 more including fire officer arrested

Mumbai: Three more people, including a fire officer, has on Saturday been arrested in connection with the Kamala Mills fire tragedy.

On Thursday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta had submitted an inquiry report to the Maharashtra government.

According to the report, BMC assistant commissioner Prakash Sakpale and Bhagyashree Kapse have been found guilty.

The owners of Kamla Mills, Govani, Pub 1 Above and Mojo's Bistro have also been held responsible for the accident.

A massive fire had broken out at Kamla Mills Compound in the Lower Parel locality of Mumbai on December 29 killing 14 people and injuring another 30.

Mumbai Fire Brigade Department had said in its report that flying embers from illegal hookah being served at Mojo's Bistro was the probable cause of the massive fire at the Kamala Mills Compound.

In its preliminary investigation report, the department had said that the fire probably started at Mojo's and spread to the adjacent rooftop pub '1 Above'.

The Inquiry Committee report, which was submitted to the Municipal Commissioner, concluded that fire started from the pub 'Mojo's Bistro' and not from '1Above' as believed earlier.

Most of the victims were trapped in the toilet of the pub and died of suffocation, the Mumbai Police had earlier said.

The report had clarified that none of the two restaurants - Mojo's and 1 Above - had permissions to serve liquor and hookah yet they used to serve them.

Although there was an emergency exit, the pub staff seemed to be unaware of it, it said.

Beer kegs near the exit path also blocked the escape and the kegs eventually exploded and escalated the fire, the report had said.

Use of bamboo and cloth to make the roof led to the quick spreading of the fire, while wind velocity and direction were the major contributors too, it had said.

Earlier, the owners of '1 Above' and Mojo's Bistro were arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with the devastating fire at the mills Compound.

They had gone underground after they were charged with culpable homicide in connection with the Kamala Mills Compound fire mishap.