2015 Hotel City Kinara fire: Grieving families lead fight against illegal cylinder supply in Mumbai

Nearly a decade after the October 2015 blaze, grieving families of the Hotel City Kinara fire victims demand strict action against illegal LPG supply networks they say caused the tragedy. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Though the Bombay High Court recently directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to pay Rs 50 lakh to each family who lost a loved one in the Hotel City Kinara fire that occurred in October 2015, the grieving parents are now fighting a larger battle. With the help of Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, the families have appealed to the Ministry of Petroleum to take strict action against gas agencies - specifically Laxmi Gas Agency - for illegally supplying LPG cylinders to roadside eateries.

"As per the charge sheet of the incident, the cylinder delivery person from Laxmi Gas Agency admitted he would deliver cylinders to Hotel City Kinara every two days. However, through an RTI, we discovered that City Kinara was never a direct HPCL customer. This clearly means the agency was supplying the cylinders in black," Pimenta said.

Passers-by stand in front of restaurant to eat food bought from nearby eateries, turning once-busy eatery into eerie roadside pause point

Through an email to HPCL and the Petroleum Ministry, we have demanded that HPCL immediately terminate its dealership agreement with Laxmi Gas Agency. Clause 28B(i) of their May 23, 2011 Memorandum of Agreement gives HPCL the right to do so if cylinders are supplied to unauthorised entities," he added.

Victim families speak out

Though the families have received some relief through the court's ruling, they believe many more lives are still at risk, as such illegal practices continue unchecked
across Mumbai. "Advocate Pimenta also explained that HPCL's Public Liability Insurance Policy covers all risks arising from the use of LPG supplied by its dealers. So we are also entitled to compensation under this policy, over and above the high court ruling," said Rekha Thapar, mother of victim Akash Thapar.

"No amount of money will bring back our children. But we're seeking full compensation to ensure that those responsible face consequences and are taught a lesson. No one should be allowed to play with innocent lives," she added.

Jacinta D'Souza, mother of Bernadette D'Souza, pointed directly at corruption: "If cylinders were being sold illegally, it means every official in the chain took a bribe. Without systemic corruption, this scale of illegal activity is impossible. Everyone needs to earn a living - we get that. But the government must find a way to regulate roadside vendors without putting lives at risk."

"Licensing and properly regulating hawkers and food stalls could drastically reduce such disasters. Today, in the greed for bribes, our children paid with their lives. Is this the country we're building?" she asked. Pimenta concluded with a demand: "We urge the government to appoint flying squads to investigate and curb this widespread, illegal distribution of gas cylinders to roadside vendors."