Public Square

- Vinod Kumar

This should not have happened. But in Mumbai the fire blazed in two restaurants and pub. Their names are ‘One above’ and ‘Mojo’. These were located in Kamala Mill area. Sad event in December 2017. It is shocking. There is no method to deal with such tragedy. People are compelled to move on. Fourteen guests died in the pubs. They died of suffocation. Was this accident an avoidable one? These were terrace and roof-top restaurants. But then, they were covered with bamboo roof. They had a roof which was inflammable. These pubs do serve alcoholic drinks. These spirits also have combustible properties. When so much is known to us, then aren’t the precautions warranted? The staircases in the building that lead into these restaurants were narrow. They did not have adequate width. There weren’t many other emergency exit options. By knowing so much already, the safety can’t be compromised. Then there are three sources of flames. The open embers of burning hukka. The fire display of the bartender. And then, may be an electrical short-circuit. Sad times for the families, who lost their members. We must once again reiterate that this catastrophe should have been avoided.