Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 24: Thursday’s fire at JNS Business Centre in Jogeshwari, which left 17 people injured, has reignited concerns over fire safety in modern high-rise buildings, particularly those with sealed glass facades.

The blaze underscored the challenges firefighters face when dealing with contemporary designs where windows cannot be opened, forcing them to manually break glass to release smoke during rescue operations. A senior fire official explained, “It’s much easier when buildings have openable windows; smoke can escape naturally, and trapped occupants can breathe. With sealed glass facades, the smoke gets trapped, making rescue operations extremely dangerous.”

The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of safety compliance in tall buildings. Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the Bombay High Court’s order to vacate the top 18 floors of a 34-storey residential building in Tardeo, citing the absence of an Occupation Certificate (OC) — a requirement that includes obtaining a fire no-objection certificate (NOC).

Officials noted that while modern glass façades are aesthetically appealing, they often compromise emergency ventilation, turning high-rises into “glass traps” during fires. Firefighters at JNS Business Centre had to operate with breathing apparatus throughout the operation as dense smoke filled the upper floors, significantly complicating rescue efforts.

The fire also exposed major lapses in internal safety systems. Mumbai Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar confirmed that the sprinkler system was non-functional. The vertical riser pipes, designed to activate automatically and control fires early, failed to operate, putting lives and property at risk.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade has now launched a thorough review of all permissions and fire safety documents for the building, including its fire NOC, as authorities stress the urgent need to enforce safety standards in high-rise structures.