'Ill-Equipped': Upset Zeeshan Siddique Lashes Out At Mumbai Fire Dept Over Blaze At Family-Owned Bandra Mall

Mumbai: In the early hours of Tuesday, a massive fire broke out at the Croma electronics showroom located in the basement of Link Square Mall on Linking Road No. 33, Bandra (West). The fire, which was first reported at 4:11 AM, rapidly intensified and was declared a Level-IV blaze by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) by 6:25 AM. The mall is reportedly owned by NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique's family.

What Zeeshan Siddique Said?

The NCP leader criticised the Mumbai fire brigade over the fire. He claimed that the fire department failed to control the blaze as the department was "ill-equipped'.

"There was a spark in an electronics showroom in the basement... The fire department has failed to control the fire... It could have easily been controlled initially, but the fire officers were ill-equipped," Siddique told reporters.

The fire originated in the basement of the Croma showroom, part of a three-basement, ground-plus-three-storey mall structure and quickly spread across multiple levels, causing heavy smoke logging throughout the entire building. Officials confirmed that heat and smoke had accumulated in all areas of the mall, severely hampering visibility and access.

In a quick response, MFB deployed over a dozen fire engines, multiple hydraulic platforms, and two high-tech robotic firefighting units, including Robert-02, to combat the blaze. This marks a rare public deployment of firefighting robots in Mumbai.

These robots, specifically designed to operate in high-temperature and low-visibility environments, are equipped with cameras, sensors, and high-capacity water nozzles. They played a crucial role in entering the smoke-filled mall basement and directing targeted water jets without risking the lives of human firefighters.

Details Of Firefighting Operations:

12 motor pumps, 3 hose lines (including 9 small hose lines, 2 high-pressure, and 1 robotic), ventilation efforts through breaking the mall’s glass facade, and damage assessment.

Mall Suffered Several Damages:

Global Fusion terrace eatery was completely gutted, and tap Resto Bar was charred. The Ajmal Perfume store burnt to the ground, and all electronics at the Croma showroom were destroyed in the blaze.

Emergency Response Teams On Site:

Agencies involved in the response included BMC’s MFB and Ward Staff, Mumbai Police, Adani Electricity, the Public Works Department (PWD), medical support with two 108 ambulances and senior fire officials, including CFO, Dy. CFO, DFO, ADFOS, Station Officers, and specialised rescue vehicles and equipment such as JCBs and ALP units.

Cause Under Investigation:

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, and a detailed investigation is underway. Despite the magnitude of the incident, no injuries or casualties have been reported so far.