Woman’s body recovered from waterlogged basement of Dreams Mall in Bhandup

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The Bhandup police have reported the discovery of an unidentified woman's body in the flooded basement of Dreams Mall, Bhandup West.

The incident came to light at around 9:40 am when a mall employee noticed the body floating in the waterlogged basement. Authorities were immediately alerted, and the body was transported to Mulund General Hospital, where doctors declared the woman dead upon arrival.

Initial investigations suggest that the victim, believed to be in her 30s, likely drowned as water was found in her lungs. However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed after a postmortem examination.

"Since the mall has been closed for several years, a significant amount of water has accumulated in its basement. The abandoned premises are often frequented by drug users and couples," stated Sanjeev Kumar, a social worker.

Police are working to identify the woman and ascertain her whereabouts.

Dreams Mall has been non-operational for several years following two fire incidents. One of the fires occurred at Sunrise Hospital, which operated on the mall's top floor, and the other engulfed a major portion of the structure. The building also housed the head office of Punjab Maharashtra Cooperative Bank, infamous for a financial scam involving thousands of crores.

The mall was originally owned by HDIL, the developers of the Dreams Heights residential buildings located behind the mall. Since its closure, the premises have turned into a haven for vagrants and anti-social elements.

When the fire broke out in Dreams Mall on a Thursday night, emergency access was hampered as the rear fire exit had become a dumping ground. "We couldn't utilise the rear fire exit due to heaps of garbage blocking the way. We evacuated patients using fire ladders," stated an employee from the Vikhroli fire station.

Residents of Dreams Tower, situated near the fire exit, claimed to have repeatedly complained about the poor upkeep of the mall's surroundings, but their grievances were ignored. Poonam B, a resident of Dreams Building 1, shared, "The occupants initially collected funds for basic housekeeping, but the efforts didn't last. Eventually, the fire exit became a garbage yard, and the parking area in the basement became unsafe."

Poonam added, "I used to run a kindergarten with over 100 toddlers in the mall, but I had to shut it down during the pandemic due to its deteriorating condition."

Residents of the lower floors in the 20-storey Dreams Building 1 are the worst affected by the neglect. Binu Geevarghese, chairman of the society, said, "We wrote several letters to the civic authorities, but nothing was done. The fire exit area is now a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a hideout for rodents. It's filled with dry waste, mostly inflammable materials like carton boxes, plastic containers, and papers."

The narrow road between the mall and the building is used for illegal parking, further hampering emergency vehicle access. Binu added, "This incident should be an eye-opener for the authorities to act and clear the waste entirely."

The mall has been the site of two major fires. On March 25, 2021, a blaze broke out at Sunrise Hospital, claiming 11 lives. Barely a year later, another fire gutted a large portion of the mall, spreading rapidly from the basement to the dome.

The fire brigade responded promptly but faced challenges due to poor maintenance and inaccessibility of fire exits. "The electricity had been disconnected after the first fire incident, and the mall was empty at the time. The fire spread rapidly across all parts of the structure," said Hemant Parab, Chief Fire Officer of the BMC.

Despite the efforts of 15 fire engines and 11 water tankers, the blaze was only brought under control after several hours. The cause of the fire remains uncertain, and investigations are ongoing.

The latest discovery of the body in the flooded basement adds to the mall's growing list of tragedies, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and proper maintenance of such neglected spaces.