Level II fire at Bandra West's VN Sphere Mall, no injuries reported

A fire broke out on Friday, October 30, at VN Sphere Mall on Linking Road in Bandra West, Mumbai. It was declared a Level II fire. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), no injuries have been reported so far.

According to information provided by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the BMC's fire service, the call was received at about 6:02 am. The mall is near Dhanraj Restaurant in Bandra West. The building is ground plus five floors. The brigade declared it a Level II fire call at about 6:28 am.

Officials said several agencies were deployed as soon as the fire was reported. They include the Mumbai Fire Brigade, Mumbai Police, the power distribution company, 108 ambulance service and BMC ward staff.

The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are yet to be known.

Deputy Fire Officer H.V. Girkar, briefing on the situation, said: "The fire started at about 5:30 am. The fire brigade was informed between 5:45 and 6:00 am. Our nearest fire station, Bandra Fire Station, reached first. We found the fire in the kitchen and dining area of a restaurant called 'Foo' on the second floor. The whole area was filled with smoke and flames."

Girkar also said: "Visibility was absolutely zero and it was not possible to go upward. Our firefighters went in wearing BA, or breathing apparatus, sets. There were considerable difficulties in putting out the fire, but our men did their job very well."

He added: "Nobody is injured and cooling work is still under way. The cause of the fire is being investigated as per our set procedure. Our officers will conduct a thorough inspection to establish where the fire started."