Thursday`s fire in Jogeshwari, which left 17 injured, has reignited the debate on fire safety in tall buildings, particularly those with sealed glass facades, where firefighters are often forced to manually break windows to release smoke during rescue operations.
The issue of safety compliance in tall buildings has drawn renewed attention after the Supreme Court recently upheld the Bombay High Court’s order to vacate the top 18 floors of a 34-storey residential building in Tardeo, which lacked an Occupation Certificate (OC). One of the key requirements to obtain an OC is a fire no-objection certificate (NOC).
Glass façade challenge
The building’s modern glass façade made firefighting significantly harder, trapping dense smoke inside the upper floors. Firefighters had to use breathing apparatus throughout the operation.
“It’s much easier when buildings have openable windows, smoke can escape naturally, and trapped occupants can breathe,” said a senior fire official. “With sealed glass facades, the smoke gets trapped inside, making rescue operations extremely dangerous.”
Officials said such designs, while aesthetically appealing, often compromise emergency ventilation, turning high-rises into “glass traps” during major fires.
Fire safety lapses
The Level III blaze at JNS Business Centre on Thursday morning exposed major fire safety violations. According to Mumbai’s Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Ravindra Ambulgekar, the building’s internal firefighting system was non-functional.
“The sprinkler system of the building was not working,” Ambulgekar told mid-day. The system, consisting of vertical riser pipes connected to sprinklers on every floor, is designed to activate automatically in case of fire, controlling flames early and reducing damage to life and property.
The Mumbai Fire Brigade is now examining all permissions and fire safety documents for the JNS Business Centre, including its fire NOC.
