Fire department begins safety audit of rooftop restaurants, cafes in Bengaluru after Koramangala accident

The Fire and Emergency Services Department in Bengaluru has commenced the survey of rooftop restaurants, bars, cafe and other F&B businesses in the city to generate data on how many such establishments are operating without implementing fire safety measures. This comes after the Mudpipe cafe fire accident at Koramangala near Forum Mall on October 18. 

The Fire and Emergency Services Department in Bengaluru has commenced the survey of rooftop restaurants, bars, cafe and other F&B businesses in the city to generate data on how many such establishments are operating without implementing fire safety measures. This comes after the Mudpipe cafe fire accident, which critically injured a cook who worked at the hookah bar, at Koramangala near Forum Mall on Wednesday, October 18. 

The building where this cafe-cum-hookah bar was set up on fourth floor is over 15 meters high but had not secured a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department. This was found during preliminary inquiry conducted by the police department. This has now called for a wider investigation into such cafes which are functioning across the city without NOC. Home Minister G. Parameshwara has also instructed the fie department to ensure stern implementation of fire safety protocols. 

There has been a sudden increase in fire accidents in the city, with the fire control room receiving about 58 calls this month alone, until October 18. In Karnataka, in September 2023 alone, 442 fire incidents occurred. In September 2022, 398 cases were reported in the State. This means the State has recorded a 9% increase in such accidents in the month of September. Officials attribute the incidents to negligence. 

Deputy Director, Fire and Safety Department (Technical), Eshwar Nayak told The Hindu that the Mudpipe incident exposed gaping holes in operations of rooftop restaurants and a high-level of ignorance of fire safety among the owners. Usually, rooftop cafes housed in buildings below 15 meters do not require NOC, but there are hundreds of such restaurants situated in buildings higher than 15 meters. Unless the department gets data, safety implementations are not possible, he said. 

Personnel from the department have started going to the field to prepare a list. They will visit restaurants and enquire about NOC and installation of safety measures. As soon as the list is ready, the department will issue notices to implement measures. The Mudpipe cafe did not even have an emergency exit. However, about 12 gas cylinders were stored in one place due to which the major fire erupted, said Mr. Nayak. 

Another fire official said lack of awareness among the owners is also resulting in fire accidents. “These incidents can happen 356 days unlike ground grass fire that normally happens in November or December. The department is also planning conduct more fire safety awareness programmes in the City and drills will be carried out,” the official added.

Home Minister G Parameshwara, after visiting the accident spot on October 19, said the hookah bar was running illegally as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had only given permission for food catering. He said the BBMP had failed to verify what business the owner was running and added that action would be initiated against BBMP officials for their negligence.