Mumbai: A major fire broke out in the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Mandai, popularly known as Crawford Market, in the early hours of Sunday, destroying three shops. The blaze started in a store near the well-known Badshah Cold Drinks and Snacks store.The blaze, suspected to have originated from a short circuit, was brought under control after about four hours of firefighting. When TOI reached the site on Sunday afternoon, cooling operations were still underway. Deputy fire officer (special operations) said, “The fire was in a shop that had a lot of plastic material in it. The smoke from it accumulated around the area.”Locals first noticed the smoke around 6:30 am and alerted the fire brigade authorities. By the time fire personnel arrived, flames had already engulfed one shop. A team of firefighters, five fire engines and three jumbo tankers were pressed into service. The Badshah store’s shutters were down, and the premises’ front facade was locked. The smoke was so dense that the firefighters were initially unable to enter the premises. Smoke exhaust equipment had to be deployed before firefighting operations could begin.Also caught in the incident was another shop that had a cookware and kitchenware outlet. The store was not directly consumed by the flames; instead, the damage to its stock and interior was caused during firefighting operations to douse the blaze next door. Eyewitnesses at the scene said about 70% of the stock and property across the affected shops were destroyed. The exact cause of the fire has yet to beascertained, though short-circuit is suspected. Meanwhile, a fire erupted late Saturday night at DB Marg near Mumbai Central, affecting multiple shops in a ground-plus-one structure.
