A major mishap was averted after a fire broke out at Annex Mall in Borivali East on Friday, triggering an explosion that shattered parts of the building’s glass facade onto the road below.
Annex Mall in Borivali East after a fire broke out on Friday afternoon. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
In a crucial act of presence of mind, 66-year-old watchman R Jha rushed onto the road, blew his whistle and stopped vehicles and pedestrians from approaching the stretch outside the mall moments after the blast.
Fire tenders outside Annex Mall as firefighters worked to douse the blaze
The fire was reported between 2 pm and 2.30 pm. By around 4.30 pm, the Mumbai Fire Brigade had brought the blaze under control. No casualties were reported.
At a glance
What happened
. Fire broke out at Annex Mall, Borivali East
. Explosion shattered glass facade onto road
. One person trapped inside gym rescued safely
. No injuries reported
Emergency response
. 8 fire tenders rushed to spot
. Cooling operations continued till evening
. Firefighters broke glass panels to release trapped smoke
Eyewitness account
A watchman from another building nearby said the sound initially appeared to be a cylinder blast. “The noise of the explosion was so loud that I thought it was a cylinder explosion. Later, when I came on the road, I saw that the glass was shattered on the road, and a person who came running towards me told me that there was a fire in the eatery on the first floor. Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire,” he said.
The watchman who raised the alarm
R Jha, who works at a housing society opposite the mall, said he immediately realised the danger after hearing a massive explosion.
“I was on duty at the gate when I suddenly heard a loud explosion. Moments later, I saw glass shards crashing onto the road and smoke coming out from the building. Realising that a fire had broken out, I immediately rushed onto the road, started blowing my whistle, and alerted pedestrians as well as vehicles approaching from both sides near the mall,” Jha said.
Locals praised Jha’s alertness, saying his quick action prevented people and vehicles from entering the danger zone while glass debris continued falling.
Jha added that some people inside the building also acted swiftly to remove gas cylinders from the premises, preventing the situation from escalating further.
What was inside the mall
According to locals:
. Two restaurants on the first floor were operational
. A gym was functioning inside the building
. Some ground-floor shops were open
. Cinema hall has remained shut since COVID
. The mall is located near Prithvi Enclave, opposite Sai Dham Temple in Borivali East.
MLA seeks fire safety audit
Local MLA Sanjay Upadhyay, who visited the site around 4 pm, demanded stricter checks on malls and shopping centres in the area.
“It is high time fire brigade authorities conduct an audit of all malls and shopping centres in the area, and strict action should be taken against establishments found violating fire safety norms,” he told mid-day.
Fire brigade says
A senior official, of the Mumbai Fire Brigade said: ‘We faced challenges during firefighting. Since this was a glass facade building, smoke built up inside the mall premises, making operations difficult. We operated in very low visibility. Breathing apparatus was needed for all officials. Rampant storage of groceries and all other combustible items in inappropriate areas in the mall aggravated the fire. It cannot yet be said how many shops were gutted or damage done.’
