Bollywood actress Daisy Shah shared a harrowing experience on social media after a major fire broke out in her residential compound in Bandra East, Mumbai. The incident, which occurred late on Tuesday night, saw a neighbouring flat completely gutted, and Shah has pointed to firecrackers from an ongoing election campaign as the likely cause.
A Terrifying Evening in Bandra East
Recalling the events, Daisy Shah stated she was at home in her bedroom around 8:30 pm when she heard loudspeaker announcements for election prachar (campaigning). Soon after, the noise of continuous firecrackers began, agitating her dogs. When she went to the living room to close the window, she saw sparks flying directly towards it from outside.
"Our building and the adjacent one are part of the same compound and connected by a terrace. The distance between the two is barely 20 feet," Shah explained. She witnessed a spark fly into the neighbouring flat, which ignited into a fire within minutes. Her mother initially mistook it for a reflection, but the reality was far more dangerous.
Rapid Escalation and a Race Against Time
The situation deteriorated alarmingly fast. Shah's mother rushed downstairs to alert other residents and call the fire brigade. "In the next 15 minutes, the entire house was on fire," the actress recounted, still shaken. She emphasized how easily the flames could have spread, potentially engulfing her own home as well.
Fortunately, the flat's residents were not present during the blaze. The son and his wife were at a wedding, and a wheelchair-bound uncle had also stepped out. However, pets were inside. While two cats escaped, two out of five parrots perished in the fire. A large fish tank and everything else in the home were reduced to ashes.
Emergency Response and Aftermath
Shah clarified queries from her video, stating she did attempt to call the fire brigade herself. "I tried multiple numbers, including the Kurla and Chembur stations, but the calls did not go through. I even have the call logs," she said. The fire brigade eventually arrived approximately 45 minutes after the fire started and took about an hour to fully douse the flames. Shah praised their and the police's professional handling once on site.
The aftermath continues to disrupt daily life, with the gas pipeline shut off in both buildings and a power cut in the affected one. Reflecting on the scare, Daisy Shah concluded with a plea for civic responsibility: "Running an election campaign is fine, but the people hired need to be taught basic civic sense. This is not the first time firecrackers have caused such damage. This could have ended far worse."
