Bhuleshwar Jewellery Building Fire, Mumbai: About 32 Got Out, No Injuries; Short Circuit Suspected as BEST Plans Old-Cable Replacement

What happened

On the morning of Thursday, 22 October 2026, a fire broke out in the Kaka Kua (also spelt Kakakawa) building in Third Bhoiwada, in the Bhuleshwar jewellery market of south Mumbai. The building houses imitation-jewellery and gold-work units on several floors. The Free Press Journal says the fire started at about 10 am and was put out at 11.08 am; Mid-Day also gives about 10 am, while a worker quoted by IANS (via Lokmat Times) says he arrived at about 11.05 am and saw the fire. About 32 people got out of the building with the help of V P Road police, according to the Free Press Journal; IANS, as carried by Lokmat Times, says 25 to 30 people were taken out by firefighters using a ladder. No injury was reported by any outlet. Updated 26 October 2026.

The fire reportedly began at a displayed poster at street level and climbed the front of the building to the top, according to a worker who told IANS that his shop is on the fourth floor. Mid-Day and Lokmat Times describe a three-storey and a four-storey building respectively, so the number of floors is not settled. A short circuit is suspected by Mid-Day, Lokmat Times and the Times of India; none of them reports an official finding. The Free Press Journal adds that the market had not yet opened for the day, which spared this congested lane a much larger crowd of traders and shoppers.

Response

The Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police and BEST (the city’s electricity utility) reached the spot. BEST cut power in the area as a precaution, which also kept live wiring away from the firefighters. The Times of India reports the blaze was extinguished at 11.08 am; Lokmat Times, quoting IANS, says firefighters used a ladder and then began cooling. The Free Press Journal later carried a note from the Third Bhoiwada Imitation Jewellery Association praising a senior inspector of V P Road police station for helping people out. We have not seen an official fire-brigade statement on the level of the fire.

Why the old cables are part of this story

Residents have long complained about the electrical network in Bhuleshwar, according to the Times of India. A senior BEST official told the paper that cables dating from the 1950s serve a heavily built-up area, and that temporary connections after power cuts can overload old wires. The Hindustan Times reports that BEST says 70 to 80 year old underground cables in parts of south Mumbai need replacement, that about 300 km of network is to be replaced at an estimated Rs 200 crore, and that work may start by December or January 2027 and run two to three years. The same report quotes a BEST official saying overloaded old cables ‘could also have been a factor’ in this fire. This is the utility’s general explanation and a possibility; it is not an investigation finding on this building, and the cause of this fire is not confirmed.

After the fire

Dainik Jagran reports that the badly hit building was closed and its power supply cut. Several hundred goldsmiths from the Ghatal area of West Bengal work in the market, and some of them also sleep in the same buildings. The paper says gold, finished jewellery and tools were left inside, and Diwali and Dhanteras orders were stopped. Some artisans were given shelter at the office of a Bengali goldsmiths’ welfare association. We found no report of an FIR or a fire-brigade report so far.

Why this matters

Nobody was hurt, but the facts of this fire are the facts of many Mumbai disasters: a narrow lane, a multi-storey building packed with small workshops, stock and cartons, ageing wiring, and people living where they work. The earlier Kurla Kohinoor tower duct fire showed how smoke finds the upper floors of a busy building, and the Saki Naka scrap godown fire showed what a Level 2 fire does in a crowded commercial area. The Anik bus depot fire is another reminder of how a fire in a packed place becomes a large loss. Mumbai’s city safety guide lists local numbers and fire risks.

Lessons for readers

• Traders and workshop owners: do not stick posters, hoardings or cartons at street level beside meter boxes and cables. Keep the entrance and staircase clear of stock.
• Do not live in a workshop if you can avoid it. People who sleep above their work lose their only warning time. If it is unavoidable, fit smoke alarms and keep a second way out.
• Replace temporary and taped wiring. Hire a licensed electrician to check loads and earthing before the festival rush. See why small electrical faults cause big fires.
• Know your exit before you need it. In a smoke-filled stair, stay low, move away from the fire and use a window or terrace if the stairs are blocked, then call 101 or 112. Our emergency numbers guide explains the calls.
• Utilities and local authorities: publish the schedule of cable replacement for the worst lanes, and give small markets a way to report overloaded lines.

For wider reading, see why India’s public spaces are not safe and safety in shopping malls and cinemas. A different event in the same area, the Bhuleshwar Ganpati idol collapse, is a reminder of how crowded these lanes are.

What is still not known

The cause is unconfirmed: a short circuit is suspected, and the poster is where the fire reportedly began. The floors (three or four), the start time (about 10 or 11 am), the rescue count (32 or 25 to 30), the number of fire engines and the fire level differ or are missing. We do not know the value of the loss, whether the building had a valid fire licence, or whether a case has been opened. A second live-map entry on 23 October, about 32 people rescued, refers to the same fire. We will update this page when the fire brigade or BEST gives a finding. Last checked 26 October 2026.