A “minor fire” broke out at the prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point on Tuesday morning. However, there were no reports of any injuries. The fire broke out around 11 am in the split airconditioner on the second floor of the building near the accounts section, according to a visitor to the centre.
There was no one in the section at the time but the smoke emanating from the room alerted people nearby, who summoned the fire brigade. People in the building rushed down to the compound, even as thick smoke continued to emanate from the room.
Fire brigade personnel were surprised that the sophisticated smoke-detector system in the building did not function. This is regarded as a major lapse. If the fire had occurred in the main auditorium during a performance the lives of several people would have been endangered.
The Centre has a fire department that is supposed to regularly check and audit the functioning of the fire-fighting system, including the smoke-detectors, water sprinklers and fire hydrants. It is not clear how the fire started in the split AC of an unoccupied room and the fire-brigade is conducting an inquiry to ascertain why the smoke-detectors did not function. It will also check the electric wiring system.
