Fire accident fatalities surge by 154% in city this year

With nearly a month remaining, it was reported that 33 individuals had lost their lives in fire accidents in the city this year, a number that was two and a half times higher than that of 2022. In the 4,721 fire calls received thus far, marking a 7% increase compared to the previous year, 290 people had suffered injuries?an increase of over 80% from the figures in 2022. The female demographic constituted 32% of the total casualties during the period from 2019 to 2023, with 30% accounting for the injured. For the previous year, there were 4,417 fire-related incidents resulting in 13 fatalities and 160 injuries. In 2021, the corresponding figures were 4,065 incidents, 19 deaths, and 173 injuries. Fire brigade officials attributed the majority of Mumbai's fire incidents to short circuits and emphasised the necessity of mandatory electrical audits, advocating for a system similar to the already existing biannual fire audits. BMC officials concurred with the fire brigade's recommendation for compulsory electrical audits, mirroring the current biannual fire audits. They asserted that since most fires were initiated by short circuits, addressing the issue at its source were crucial. A senior BMC official mentioned, ?The BMC's fire department has been collaborating with the chief electrical inspector to advocate for mandatory electrical audits in all buildings. Identifying the root cause of fires in a majority of cases will contribute to reducing such incidents.? Regarding the Girgaum blaze, it was suspected that a short circuit might have been the cause, pending the completion of the inquiry reports. TOI also contacted some of the families who had experienced the loss of their loved ones in fires reported this year.