Mumbai Kamala Mills Fire: BMC credits PTI for alerting disaster management control room

Mumbai's civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has credited the Press Trust of India for alerting authorities about the midnight blaze that broke out on the top floor of a building and claimed 14 lives.

"The disaster management control room was alerted by PTI about the fire," said a report issued by the BMC disaster management cell on Friday.

Senior PTI journalist Dnyanesh Chavan was tipped off about the fire by a source shortly after midnight and contacted the control room to get details, unaware that he was the first bearer of tragic news.

The Kamala Mills compound in central Mumbai's Lower Parel area where the blaze occurred is a refurbished industrial compound, housing swanky restaurants and other commercial establishments.

The fire in the building started on the top floor and engulfed the structure in less than 30 minutes, an official said.

Several media outlets, including TV news channels Times Now, ET Now and TV9 Marathi, have offices in the complex. 

There have been allegations that civic authorities have turned a blind eye to construction irregularities and violation of fire safety norms in the compound.