KOCHI: Amid concerns over fire risks in commercial high-rises in and around Kochi, the Fire and Rescue Services Department has begun auditing shopping malls and cinema halls across the city to asses their safety status.
According to officials, a five-member team led by Assistant Divisional Fire Officer V. Siddakumar will inspect shopping malls and cinemas and file a report to the District Collector. As part of the drive, the team on Thursday inspected three malls at Edappally, Vyttila, and Maradu, and the multiplexes in them.
“The inspection is slated to be completed in three days from now, and the audit report, including the findings and recommendations, will be submitted to the District Collector next week for further action,” said R. Prasad, Divisional Fire Officer, Ernakulam.
The officials will check whether the buildings have enough exit routes and exit signage boards, alternative evacuation plans in case of power failure, and efficacy of fire safety equipment and house-keeping department, among others.
A rough estimate by the authorities suggests that the six shopping malls in the city are being operated on a combined retail floor area of over 35 lakh square feet and close to a lakh visitors troop into the buildings on a daily basis.
An earlier attempt by the Fire and Rescue Services Department to conduct the safety audit of cinemas in Kochi had to be given up midway reportedly owing to pressure from various quarters.
The recent fire accident at Oberon Mall at Palarivattom has put mall safety at the forefront of concerns by shoppers and civic authorities alike.
Following the incident, the corporation has launched a drive to inspect fire safety measures taken up in high-rises in the city, including shopping malls. It has also decided to take stringent action against those found violating rules. Similarly, the city police are set to conduct a security audit of commercial high-rises in association with the departments concerned.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), scheduled for Monday, will take stock of the fire safety situation in the city including locations such as Broadway and Jew Street in Mattancherry.
