Mumbai fire: BMC demolishes structures at 314 sites, seals seven hotels

Pic courtesy: ANI

Mumbai: The civic officials in Mumbai on Saturday demolished illegal structures at 314 sites and sealed seven hotels, a day after a blaze in an upscale pub that claimed 14 lives.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiated an inspection drive of 624 restaurants, eateries and malls across the city and its suburbs and razed illegal and unauthorised structures.

The areas where the drive was carried out included Shivaji Park, Mulund, Dahisar, Malad, the Parsi Gymkhana near Marine Lines, Grant Road, Andheri and Ghatkopar.

"The BMC has sealed seven hotels and seized around 417 LPG cylinders during the action," the civic body said in a release.

Giving details of the inspection drive, BMC spokesperson Ram Dotonde said as many as 1,000 officials and employees of the civic body had hit the streets and become a part of the exercise.

"The unauthorised hotels and restaurants, not only in central Mumbai, but also those located in the distant suburbs, such as Malad and Mulund, are facing action," he said, PTI reported.

"There are 24 wards in Mumbai and each has three teams personally inspecting all the restaurants, pubs, food joints and eateries. Each team has 10 members, including officials from the health and administration departments and inspectors," Dotonde added.

Meanwhile, a senior police official said lookout notices were on Saturday issued against Hitesh Sanghvi and Jigar Sanghvi, the co-owners of '1 Above', the ill-fated Lower Parel pub where the fire took place. It was run by 'C Grade Hospitality'.

The police had on Friday booked the Sanghvi brothers, another co-owner Abhijeet Manka and others in connection with the case.

(With PTI inputs)