Residents suspect Bhayandar fire accident politically motivated

Mumbai fire in Azad Nagar slum leaves two dead, five injured, and 150 families homeless, sparking political controversy.

In a major fire breakout in Mumbai’s suburbs of Bhayandar East’s Azad Nagar slum near Golden Nest circle on Wednesday, two bodies were recovered by the firefighting team and five people are critically injured. Two firefighters who were trying to evacuate people also got injured in the fire, one got his face burnt another half of his body, according to police officer Swapan Vishwas, who was at the spot. At least 150 families lost their homes in the fire.

Residents of the Azad Nagar slum strongly feel that the incident was politically motivated and not just any fire accident. It was only Sunday when Telangana BJP legislator T. Raja Singh made communal remarks in the same area from where the rally began. People of Azad Nagar feel they are targeted based on their religion as the majority in the slum are Muslim residents.  

Hajurul Nisa, mother of six children, weeps holding her children together in arms as they lost everything in the fire. “My husband works as a daily wage labourer. We moved here 20 years ago and built the hut on our own. We do not know where to go. Everything is burnt in ashes. How will we rebuild our home? We never had any savings. The local MLA who had come in the morning to visit the area, did not even offer us water, but left saying, not to worry, she will offer us free homes in apartments,” she said.

According to residents of Azad Nagar, the fire broke out around 3.30 a.m. but police officials said it started around 6 a.m. The fire ravaged several homes and shops containing valuable iron and glassware, resulting in losses estimated in crores. 

Children who will sit for board exams said they lost all their study material to the fire. “I was studying late in the night. Around 2.30 a.m. I heard voices and footsteps outside our hut. When my mother opened the door to check, we saw a group of men running away. An hour later, there fire broke out in one of the huts and slowly it spread through the entire slum,” said a 15-year-old student, who hopes to write her board exams this year.  

Danish Attari from Garib Nawax Relief Foundation, who along with members from the NGO were distributing food and water among the victims, said, “We are doing our part and not waiting for the government officials to act. We are also working out on finding a space for the families to find temporary homes at least.” 

Resident Muhammed Ibrahim, who too lost his home in the fire, migrated from Uttar Pradesh three decades ago. He expressed suspicion regarding the incident and said, “A few people received eviction notices just 5 days ago, and now the entire area is ablaze. Something seems suspicious.”