Defective circuit caused fire at Make In India event

It was the defective electric circuit, not the pyrotechnics, which caused the fire in the cultural programme at Girgaum Chowpatty in the ‘Make In India Week’ (MIIW) event. The combustible material stored near the stage soon caught fire, turning it into an inferno.

The massive blaze had gutted the entire stage at the cultural programme Maharashtra Rajani hosted as a part of the MIIW events at Girgaum Chowpatty seafront on Sunday night. Following this, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asked the Mumbai Fire Brigade to carry out a detailed probe of the incident.

The inquiry report, which states that the fire broke out due to a DEC short circuit, will be submitted to the municipal commisioner in the next week. The inflammable goods and adhesives stored in front of and under the stage further stoked up the fire.

“Cold pyrotechnics were used, but they were bursting in the upward direction. However, a lot of combustible material was kept near the stage and the short circuit under the stage passed the fire to it. The strong wind also helped in spreading the fire further,” said a fire official, on condition of anonymity.

The report has also pointed out several lapses in the fire safety norms. According to the fire officials, organisers were told not to allow inflammable material during the cultural programme. They were also asked not to store LPG cylinders, fire-crackers, pyrotechnics near the stage. Despite this, these combustible goods were kept under the stage on the front side.

However, chief fire officer Prabhat Rahangdale refused to divulge anything on the fire report. “We are still in process of cross examination. It will take another two to three days to submit the report,” he said.

A report from the BMC disaster management cell had said that the fire spread due to a blast of gas cylinders. The decoration goods, electric wiring, speakers, carpets, tables, chairs, sound system, wooden planks, costumes, a big crane and its tyres, and fire-crackers were all gutted in the blaze.