Make in India week: Fire brings down curtain on Maharashtra Night at Chowpatty

There was embarrassment for the Maharashtra government and for the Make in India Week under way in Mumbai when a grand stage erected by the sea at Girgaum Chowpatty went up in flames Sunday evening in the middle of a dance performance that was part of the Maharashtra Night extravaganza.

While a smooth evacuation of the nearly 7,000 people attending, including those in the star-studded VIP enclosure, ensured nobody sustained injuries, an early estimate pegged the damage to the stage and equipment at about Rs 5 crore. (Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis immediately ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire and promised action if there were any lapses. Prima facie, officials said, the fire was caused when the pyrotechnics that were part of the performance sent sparks under the stage. The sparks, fanned by the heavy wind, spread to the entire stage built of metal, acrylic, silk and other cloth. (Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

Though the CM confirmed that a fire audit had been conducted, experts said the organisers had failed to factor in the heavy wind, especially along the seafront, since Sunday afternoon. World over, when wind speed exceeds 17 km per hour, it is considered time to take a hard look at whether any pyrotechnics may be permitted in an open space.

Neither fire department nor state government officials, however, stepped in to reconsider the use of pyrotechnics throughout the day. The stage, built of metal scaffolding, had some combustible material, including extensive use of fabrics. (Express Photo by Tabassum Barnagarwala)

The silver lining for organisers on Sunday evening was that despite the massive fire burning down the entire stage, the fire brigade and police officials together averted a bigger crisis by implementing a swift and effective evacuation. (Express Photo by Tabassum Barnagarwala)

Chief Minister Fadnavis, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, foreign dignitaries, ministers and several Bollywood personalities including Aamir Khan, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan, Shreyas Talpade and Isha Koppikar were present.

Fadnavis, who was immediately escorted to the left exit, stayed back near the venue and later inspected the burnt down stage. (Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

Nearly 7,000 people, were evacuated within the first 10 minutes. Immediately after the fire broke out around 8.20 pm, officials said, a pre-approved disaster management plan for the event that had been practised in advance was activated. (Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

Apart from 14 fire tenders and 10 water tankers that were pressed into service, Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Deshmukh said, six ambulances were mobilised. As part of fire safety measures for the event, the Mumbai Fire Brigade had already stationed four fire engines and two ambulances at the venue. The disaster management plan worked smoothly around the five exit points.

“It was executed well,” said a senior fire department officer.(Express Photo by Pradip)