(Online Desk)

A fire that started at a rooftop pub hosting a birthday party spread rapidly through the building, killing 14 people (including 29-year-old Khushbu Bansali celebrating her birthday) and injuring at least 21 others, most of them women, shortly after midnight in the Kamla Trade House, a four-storeyed building on Senapati Bapat Marg, a commercial hub of the city, in lower Parel area of south Mumbai.

According to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Disaster Control, the blaze was noticed around 12.30 a.m. from The Mojo Bistro and 1 Above pub, both rooftop restaurants in The Kamla Trade House.

An FIR has been registered against the restaurant. Police have booked Hratesh Sanghvi, Jigar Sanghvi and Abhijeet Manka of C Grade Hospitality, which manages the pub, along with others, under various charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. They are also charged IPC sections 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).

Most of the victims, who included 11 women, died of asphyxiation, said Avinash Supe, dean of the KEM Hospital where the injured and dead were brought.

According to BMC, more than 12 fire tenders were rushed to fight the blaze which was finally brought under control and extinguished around 6.30 a.m. It was only then that the full impact of the disaster came to light.
The Times Network with offices of all its major channels in the same complex was hit temporarily and but employees were evacuated safely. After the disruption, Times Now, Times Now HD, ET Now and Mirror Now were operational by late morning.