150 huts gutted, 17 hurt in slum fire

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Over 150 shanties were gutted, following a major fire that broke out in Shastri Nagar slum in Bandra (west) in the early hours of Thursday. While there were no casualties, over 17 people were injured in the incident.
According to fire brigade officials, the fire erupted at around 2.30 am, when most of the slumdwellers were asleep. The panic-stricken slumdwellers immediately began to evacuate the area.
A senior fire official, who took part in the fire-fighting operations said, “The fire broke out in Chawl No. 3 of Shastri Nagar. Prima facie, the fire erupted due to short circuit in one of the huts. Soon, the fire spread to the nearby shanties, due to which three gas cylinders exploded.”
Twelve fire engines, 10 jetties, six ambulances and three water tankers were used to extinguish the fire, a fire brigade official said. It took almost four hours for the firemen to douse the fire. “The cooling operations will take some time,” the official added.
The 17 injured victims were rushed to the nearby Bhabha Hospital for treatment and were later discharged after treatment.
Four years ago, a similar fire had broken out in Shastri Nagar slum, following a cylinder blast in one of the shanties. Around 50 hutments and shops were gutted in the blaze, that spread to the nearby Bandra bus depot.
According to local residents, the Shastri Nagar slum, along with the neighbouring Maharashtra Nagar slum is slated to be developed under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme. The slum is home to around 1,000 people. It also has some small manufacturing units and workshops.
This is the third incident of fire in a slum area this year, with the earlier fires being reported in Dharavi and Naya Nagar slums in Mahim. Incidentally, all the incidents have taken place early in the morning.
When contacted, an official from the Bandra police station said, “Once we get the fire brigade’s report, we will be able to ascertain the cause of the fire. We are also investigating to find out if the incident is a case of sabotage.”