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Another fire, another spectacle for news media and another moment of remorse for the rest of us before we turn the page. From Kamala Mills to Kamala building, the story is another rerun. Fire equipment non-functional, evacuation drills not conducted, fire licenses either obtained via short cut or not obtained at all. A massive fire broke out inside the 20-storey Kamala building in Mumbai on Saturday (24th January) morning. The incident claimed the lives of six (some reports say 7) people and left 23 injured. 

A four-member committee has been formed to probe the Kamala building fire incident which resulted in multiple casualties in Mumbai, Maharashtra, news agency ANI on Sunday, 24th January, reported citing an order from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The investigation will be presided over by a deputy municipal commissioner level officer and a report will be submitted to the BMC commissioner in 15 days, the order stated. According to fire department officials, the firefighting system at the Tardeo’s Kamla building, also known as Sachinam Heights building, was not operational at the time of the fire. "The internal firefighting system of the building was not working, and the building has not even submitted its biannual fire safety audit to the fire brigade," said Hemant Parab, chief fire officer of the Mumbai fire brigade.  “We will conduct a special drive to check fire safety compliance in buildings. In most of the fire incidents, firefighting systems were non-functional. Steps will be taken to ensure that buildings take fire safety seriously. Those found not following the norms will be prosecuted and more stringent action will be taken,” Parab told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Monday said that it will hear after two weeks a PIL lodged in 2018 seeking enforcement of draft regulations issued for fire safety in buildings vulnerable to man-made disasters, formulated in 2009 in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks.