This year is coming to an end and how much ever it hurts, Mumbaikars faced multiple disastrous incidents. The Kamala Mills fire which started at '1 Above', a resto-bar, claimed 14 lives and has created chaos across the city.
It has been a rollercoaster year for the city and the latest incident has left everyone's palate with a bitter taste.
Let's have a look at what went wrong in Mumbai throughout 2017 which brought the city together as people supporting people in the time of need but sorrow and suffering saw no bound.
Mumbai rains have always had a reputation. August 29 and 30 saw rain gods bless the city a little too much as the city faced heavy rains striking panic throughout the city. At least five people, including two children were killed and the railways were halted for a good while. All other modes of transport were stalled and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link was shut down after 4:00 pm due to the water levels rising. The entire city which is usually so busy faced a standstill.
Read more: Timeline Of The 2017 Mumbai Rains
Home is where you can live without worries. But what happens when your home collapses? The rickety 117-year-old seven-storey building collapsed in Bhendi Bazaar, killing 34 people and trapping the rest under the debris. The building that was declared unsafe by the BMC nearly six months prior to the incident. And the heavy rains that lashed Mumbai the Tuesday before the disaster supposedly contributed to the entire scenario.
Read more: Building Collapse In Bhendi Bazaar Update: 34 People Dead, 17 Injured
Mumbai railways are always bustling with people. But September 29 had something tragic in store for the commuters. The stampede at Elphinstone foot overbridge was seemingly caused due to sudden rains in Mumbai that took the commuters by surprise since no one was prepared for rains and hurried to the bridge for shelter. To add to the panic of the crowd, there was a rumour of the foot overbridge collapsing which further escalated the stampede causing 23 deaths and more than 30 people being injured.
Read more: Elphinstone Stampede Live Updates: 23 Dead, Over 38 Injured
With a massive fire that broke out at Garib Nagar situated in Bandra East, train services were halted briefly. The Mumbai fire department declared the fire a level 4 fire and was caused due to a cylinder being blown up. Nearly 100 huts were gutted with most of them being built illegally.
Read more: Garib Nagar Fire: Resident Held For Staging The Entire Incident
December 19 saw a farsan shop in Saki Naka catch fire due to a short-circuit and killing all the 12 workers who were sleeping in the shop. While most of the deaths were caused due to third-degree burns, another major contributor is ‘suffocation’. And one of the deceased suffered a crack in the head due to heat.
Read more: Fire At A Farsan Shop In Saki Naka Kills 12 People
What happens when you go to a pub to relieve your stress and are exposed to massive five-storey tall fire? The most recent incident where nearly 124 people were affected and 14 lost their lives, mostly due to suffocation induced by the fire that took place in the Kamala Mills. The fire which is suspected to have been broken out due to a spark from the hookah and spread across 1 Above, Mojo’s Bistro and London Taxi due to lack of fire extinguishing equipment.
Read more: 14 people died in the fire at Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
These cases rocked the city and many people lost their lives. 2017 has not been a kind year for many but we hope 2018 brings more optimism, growth and development in the city which will make the quality of life better for citizens.
Share
Tweet
