Fire audits of multi-storey buildings to be done in a month: Mayor

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) here today said it will ensure that fire safety audits of all multi-storey buildings are completed in a month, in the wake of the death of a fireman during a recent fire in a suburban high-rise .

"We lost a young officer in the fire mishap that took place in suburban Mumbai last week. To ensure that such an incident is not repeated in future, I have directed the administration to ensure that safety audit of residential, commercial and state administrative buildings is completed within a month's time," Mumbai Mayor Sunil Prabhu said here.

An independent fire audit cell will be created for the purpose and strict action will be initiated against those who fail to comply with the safety norms put in place by the civic administration, he said.

Fire fighter Nitin Ivalekar had lost his life and 20 of his colleagues were injured while trying to douse the blaze that broke out in Lotus Business Park, a 22-storey building in suburban Andheri.

The firemen were trapped on the roof of the building and had to be evacuated with the help of Navy and Coast Guard helicopters.

In the wake of this incident, it has now become imperative for the MCGM to take precautions and conduct safety checks periodically to ensure innocent lives are not lost in fire mishaps, Prabhu added.