Fire in RK Studios: Mumbai civic body asks studio to remove ‘damaged portions’ of structure

Since it is a private property, the BMC said it cannot assess the damage caused by the fire.

Hours after a major fire at the iconic RK Studios in Chembur gutted a set for a TV reality show, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a letter to the studios to “remove dangerous or damaged portion” and take necessary precautions to avoid any further mishap on the site. The letter was issued by the building and factory department of the M/West ward (that includes Chembur) late on Saturday evening, officials confirmed.

A fire broke out at the iconic RK Studio in Chembur area in Mumbai on September 16. (Kunal Patil/HT)

The letter, a copy of which is with HT, stated, “A major fire incident had occurred at studio 1 at RK films and studios in which the entire structure of studio 1 has been damaged badly leaving the walls in a dangerous condition. You are hereby directed to remove the dangerous and damaged portion of the structure immediately and take necessary precautionary and safety measures to prevent any further mishap on the site.”

Harshad Kale, assistant commissioner of the M/West ward, said since it is a private property, the BMC cannot assess the damage the fire caused. “There is no fear to adjacent structures but we have asked them to restore the damaged portions immediately,” Kale said.

A major fire broke out at the studio, founded by late superstar Raj Kapoor, on Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, no one was shooting at the set at the time. Around 11 fire tenders were rushed to the studios and the fire was brought under control by 6.16 pm, officials said.

Meanwhile, fire officials said the cause of fire is yet to be ascertained. Prima facie, it seems like short circuit was teh reason the fire erupted and it spread rapidly owing to the presence of a huge number of combustible materials in the studio. PN Dudhale, divisional fire officer at Mankhurd, said, “The studio was fire compliant and we also used the firefighting system. The officials have started the investigation and the report will be submitted in the next 15 days.”