A major fire broke out at Link Square Mall in Bandra West, Mumbai, early Tuesday morning, and was finally extinguished after over 22 hours of continuous firefighting. The blaze, which began around 4:10 AM in the basement of the mall on Linking Road, rapidly spread across all three floors, housing over 200 shops and commercial units. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade classified the incident as a Level IV (major) fire by 6:25 AM and launched a large-scale operation involving 13 fire engines, multiple emergency vehicles, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Firefighters faced significant challenges due to the mall’s combustible materials, obstructed access, and partition walls that facilitated the spread of fire and smoke between shops.
The entire structure was gutted, and an official inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the fire. Political leaders have raised concerns, with former MLA Zeeshan Siddique criticizing the fire brigade for delays, while BJP minister Ashish Shelar directed the civic chief to conduct a comprehensive probe.
This incident follows another fire just two days earlier at a building housing the Enforcement Directorate office in Ballard Estate, raising questions about fire safety measures in the city.
