What could have turned into a deadly disaster in Mumbai’s Borivali was narrowly avoided thanks to the quick thinking of a 66-year-old watchman who risked his own safety to save others moments after a massive explosion rocked Annex Mall on Friday afternoon.
The incident took place at Annex Mall in Borivali East between 2 pm and 2.30 pm after a fire reportedly broke out inside one of the establishments on the first floor. Within seconds, a powerful blast shattered parts of the mall’s glass façade, sending sharp debris crashing onto the busy road below and triggering panic among locals.
Amid the chaos, R Jha, a watchman working at a residential society opposite the mall, sprang into action without hesitation.
“I suddenly heard a loud explosion. Then I saw smoke billowing out and pieces of glass falling onto the road. I immediately rushed outside, blew my whistle continuously, and stopped vehicles and pedestrians from coming near the mall,” Jha recalled.
Locals say his alertness may have prevented a major tragedy. As glass shards continued raining down, Jha stood in the middle of traffic warning commuters to stay away from the danger zone.
The fire quickly spread smoke throughout the building, making rescue operations difficult. Eight fire tenders rushed to the spot, while firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the smoke-filled structure to control the blaze. Officials later confirmed that one person trapped inside a gym in the building was rescued safely.
By around 4.30 pm, the Mumbai Fire Brigade managed to bring the fire under control, though cooling operations continued into the evening. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment of the explosion. One nearby watchman initially believed it was a cylinder blast due to the intensity of the sound.
“The noise was so loud that I thought a gas cylinder had exploded. When I came outside, the entire road was covered with shattered glass. Someone running from the building told me there was a fire inside an eatery,” he said.
Adding to the relief, some people inside the mall reportedly acted swiftly and removed gas cylinders from the premises before the situation could worsen further.
According to local residents, the building housed two operational restaurants, a gym and several ground-floor shops, while its cinema hall has remained shut since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The incident has now raised serious concerns about fire safety standards in commercial buildings across Mumbai. Local MLA Sanjay Upadhyay, who visited the site later in the evening, demanded immediate fire safety audits of malls and shopping centres in the area.
Fire brigade officials admitted that the glass façade structure created severe visibility issues during operations, while the alleged storage of combustible items inside the premises further intensified the fire.
For many residents, however, the biggest hero of the day remained R Jha — the elderly watchman whose split-second decision helped save countless lives outside the mall.
