Corporator flags fire risk from overcrowded budget lodges in central Mumbai

Mumbai: Congress corporator from Kalina Tulip Miranda has raised concerns over the mushrooming of small lodges and budget hotels operating as "residencies" in parts of central Mumbai, warning that many of them could turn into potential fire traps.Miranda- a two term corporator, in a point of order raised during the statutory standing committee meeting on Wednesday has objected to the growing number of such establishments in areas like Sion, Kalina and Kurla and said several small hotels, dormitories and "residencies" are allegedly accommodating far more people than their permitted capacity while offering cheap lodging.According to her, some of these premises are "packed beyond capacity", creating serious safety risks in case of a fire or other disaster. Raising the issue during a civic meeting, she pointed to past tragedies in the city to points at the risks posed by overcrowded and poorly regulated accommodations.Miranda recalled an incident in Saki naka where 12 migrant labourers were charred to death in Dec 2017 after a fire broke out at a farsan (snack) shop on Khairani Road. She also referred to the 2015 blaze at Hotel City Kinara in Kurla, which claimed eight lives, many of them students. In June 2025, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to pay ₹50 lakh each to the families of the victims which the corporator said went out of tax payers money. "We have already seen tragedies in Saki Naka and the Hotel City Kinara fire. Those incidents should serve as a warning that overcrowded and poorly regulated accommodations can cost lives. It's high time the fire brigade and local ward ofices crack down on such spaces," said Miranda.The standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde reserved the point of order raised by Miranda and directed the administration to provide a clarification.