On the afternoon of April 14, 1944, two back-to-back explosions rocked the island city of Mumbai, triggering massive fireballs that engulfed the dockyard and adjoining neighbourhoods. Infamously known as the Bombay dock explosions, the incident remains one of the biggest fire disasters in the city’s history.
The explosions were caused by a British freighter — SS Fort Stikine — which was carrying ammunition for the ongoing Second World War. The ship caught fire in the afternoon and, within hours, massive explosions tore the mammoth-sized vessel into two parts. The impact was so intense that it was recorded by seismographs.
Firefighting operations continued for three days, with the then Bombay Fire Brigade rescuing workers and civilians trapped inside warehouses within the dock compound. Central to these rescue efforts was a vehicle-mounted turn-table ladder (TTL) made of cast iron.
According to officials, the vehicle’s iron body and sleek design made it easier to manoeuvre through the congested bylanes of the dockyard. (Express Photo)
A turn-table ladder is a small truck fitted with a ladder mounted on a hydraulic platform that can be raised and rotated during rescue operations. During the 1944 fire, the ladder was raised to help trapped workers climb down from warehouses to safer locations.
More than eight decades later, the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) has restored the ladder-mounted rescue vehicle, bringing it back to a motorable condition. The restored vehicle will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the morning of Republic Day.
“This vehicle is a testament of MFB’s valour. The loss of lives in the 1944 fire incident would have been much more had the brigade not been prompted into the rescue operation immediately. This machine played a pivotal role since we were able to rescue more than 100 workers who were trapped inside the compound with the help of this vehicle,” an official said.
According to officials, the vehicle’s iron body and sleek design made it easier to manoeuvre through the congested bylanes of the dockyard. It was also fitted with a bell to alert people to make way during rescue operations.
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Fire brigade records show that the vehicle was manufactured in 1937 by British automobile firm Leyland and was inducted into the brigade in 1941.
“During the 20th century, ladders like these were labelled in the category of sophisticated equipment since most firefighting agencies in the country couldn’t afford to induct such high-end vehicles into their fleets,” the official said.
After decades of use, the vehicle was eventually decommissioned and kept as a souvenir at the MFB headquarters in Byculla. Civic officials said a decision was taken last year to refurbish and restore it.
As part of the restoration, spare parts were replaced, and the vehicle was repainted in its original red colour. The hydraulic levers were greased and oiled to ensure smooth operation, while the engine and chassis were fully refurbished. New tyres were also installed to make the vehicle roadworthy.
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However, officials clarified that the vehicle will not be deployed for firefighting operations. Instead, it will be displayed at the fire brigade headquarters and maintained regularly. On special occasions such as Firefighting Week, Republic Day and Independence Day, it will be taken out for parades.
“The restoration drive was a herculean task as many of the spare parts that were used for constructing this vehicle back then are unavailable today. Therefore, we had to go through old records of vehicles and customise alternate parts to ensure they would fit into the vehicle,” the official said.
The Bombay dock explosions
In February 1944, at the peak of the Second World War, the British freighter SS Fort Stikine sailed from England as part of a naval convoy of 20 ships headed for Asian waters. The convoy was meant to carry ammunition and supplies for strikes against Japanese forces.
Besides explosives and ammunition, the ship was carrying gold bars and a mini fighter plane. En route to Mumbai (then Bombay), it halted at Karachi port, where large quantities of flammable materials such as cotton, oil, scrap iron and sulphur were loaded onto the vessel.
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On the morning of April 14, while docked at Victoria Dock and awaiting unloading, a fire broke out on the ship’s deck. Attempts to douse the blaze failed as it intensified rapidly due to the presence of flammable cargo. Within hours, two explosions rocked the docks.
Fire brigade records state that the first explosion occurred at 4.06 pm, followed by a second at 4.41 pm.
It took three days to bring the fire under control. More than 8,000 people worked round the clock for seven months to clear nearly five lakh tonnes of debris. The official death toll stood at 740, including 476 military personnel. As many as 1,800 people were injured, and 27 ships and vessels were sunk.
To commemorate the tragedy, the week beginning April 14 is observed nationally as Fire Safety Week.
According to officials, the vehicle’s iron body and sleek design made it easier to manoeuvre through the congested bylanes of the dockyard. (Express Photo)
