Sakinaka fire: Missing man may be hiding or dead, says fire brigade

Over three days after two people were killed in a fire at an industrial estate at Sakinaka on December 13, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) is still in search of 42-year-old

Over three days after two people were killed in a fire at an industrial estate at Sakinaka on December 13, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) is still in search of 42-year-old Pratap Thakkar, a godown worker who was reported missing after the fire.

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“Monday was the fourth day for search operations for one missing person. We are assuming two possibilities: He ran out and is missing due to some sort of fear, or maybe he is badly burned and we have not been able to identify his remains. We cannot rule out anything,” said an MFB official.

On Friday, around 5.15pm the fire broke out at Ashapura compound, an industrial estate, at Khairani Road. Aarti Jaiswal, 25, and Piyush Pithadia, 42, were killed in the blaze.

Suresh Thakkar, brother of Pratap Thakkar, said, “My brother had started a job at a garment factory in Ashapura compound on December 2. His colleagues have also told us that they saw Pratap running out after the fire was reported, but we are just not able to find him. We have also filed a missing complaint and have circulated posters.”

While the cause of the fire is yet to be identified, MFB said that the large amounts of flammable paint thinner which were stored in the area contributed to the major (level-4) fire.

According to MFB officials, when they sprayed water on the fire, the paint thinner managed to travel into the gutter with the help of the water and spread the flames outside the compound.

“We will also conduct an independent probe after the search operation is over to ascertain the cause of the fire, check whether the godowns had permissions to store chemicals,” the official said.

Meanwhile, officials from the state industries department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are also carrying out independent investigations into the fire.

While the state industries department will look for violations at the commercial complex, BMC is going to investigate whether the structures conducting trade inside the compound were legal or not.