Mumbai: Major Blaze Guts Over 200 Shops in Bandra Mall, Probe Launched Into Fire Safety Lapses
Mumbai, 3rd April 2025: A massive fire broke out early Tuesday morning at Link Square Mall on Linking Road, Bandra West, Mumbai, gutting the entire three-story building and destroying over 200 shops and commercial units. The blaze, which started around 4:10 am in the basement’s Croma showroom, rapidly escalated and took more than 22 hours to bring under control, with the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deploying extensive resources to douse the flames. No casualties were reported, but the structure remains sealed due to intense heating and smoke, leaving shop owners and tenants unable to assess the full extent of their losses.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have launched a comprehensive inquiry into the incident. BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has assigned Additional Commissioner D. Gangadharan to lead the probe, with a report expected within seven days, following directives from Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar. The investigation will focus on fire safety compliance, the cause of the blaze, and the operational status of the mall’s internal fire-fighting systems, which were reportedly inoperative during the incident.
Preliminary findings indicate that the mall was filled with highly combustible materials, lacked proper ventilation, and had obstructed access points, all contributing to the rapid spread of fire and smoke. Partition walls and mesh shutters between shops further fueled the blaze, while delayed reporting of the fire hampered early containment efforts. Former MLA Zeeshan Siddique, whose family owns the mall, has alleged negligence by the fire brigade, claiming delayed response and inadequate equipment, though fire officials have refuted these claims, citing extreme heat, dense smoke, and structural challenges as primary obstacles.
