#JustIn: Massive Fire at Illegal Scrap Yard Under Byculla Bridge Engulfs Road in Thick Smoke
Massive blaze in scrap pile disrupts traffic near station,
A massive fire suddenly erupted in heaps of scrap material illegally stored beneath the railway bridge on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, directly opposite Byculla police station, turning one of south-central Mumbai’s busiest arteries into a scene of confusion and alarm today. Thick black smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the sky, creating near-zero visibility conditions for several minutes and forcing motorists to either halt or navigate blindly through the choking haze.
Dramatic videos shot from moving vehicles quickly went viral on social media platforms, capturing the terrifying moment when the entire stretch outside Byculla railway station disappeared under a dense cloud of toxic smoke. Pedestrians covered their faces while autorickshaws and private cars slowed to a crawl, their headlights barely piercing the darkness created by the burning plastic, rubber, and metal waste piled haphazardly under the bridge structure.
Mumbai Fire Brigade displayed exemplary response, receiving the emergency call at 10:02 am and mobilising multiple fire engines that reached the spot within minutes. Firefighters battled intense heat and limited access to bring the flames under complete control by 10:14 am — an operation lasting just 12 minutes that prevented the fire from spreading to overhead railway tracks or adjacent buildings, averting what could have been a far graver disaster.
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Authorities confirmed that no casualties or injuries were reported, and traffic movement along the crucial north-south corridor resumed normal flow once the smoke dispersed. Senior civic officials have launched a detailed probe into the cause, with preliminary observations pointing toward possible electrical short-circuit or discarded cigarette butts as ignition sources, while questions are also being raised about repeated failures to clear unauthorised scrap storage that has turned several city under-bridges into perennial fire traps.
The incident has intensified public and administrative concern over the unchecked accumulation of inflammable waste beneath vital infrastructure across Mumbai, underscarging systemic lapses in enforcement and waste management that continue to endanger lives and disrupt the city’s lifeline roads. Coming just days after a similar gas pipeline explosion and fire in Kurla West, Friday’s blaze serves as another stark reminder of the urgent need for stricter monitoring and immediate removal of hazardous materials from public spaces.
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