The fire department will send a notice to the developers and the management of AMP Vaisaakkhi mall asking them to furnish fire-safety papers, a senior officer said on Friday, a day after a blaze in the basement of the building in Salt Lake’s AG block.

According to the officer, the mall management has been asked to come to the fire department’s headquarters on Free School Street in Calcutta with the latest copies of the fire licence and fire audits.

The fire on Thursday afternoon left at least three cars completely burnt and more than 10 two-wheelers charred. The blaze broke out at a time hundreds of shoppers as well as employees of several offices were inside the mall. On Friday, the mall was closed as electricity supply was yet to be restored, an official said.

The director-general of fire services, Jag Mohan, said on Friday that a forensic survey would be carried out at the two levels of the building where the fire had broken out.

“A forensic team accompanied by fire scene investigators will go to the building and collect samples. This will help us find out how the fire started and whether or not the hydrants had worked,” said Mohan.

There are several fire hydrants in the mall but there was no supply of water because the reservoir was empty, some local residents who took part in the rescue operation had alleged on Thursday. Before the fire brigades came to the spot, they had tried to control the blaze by activating the hydrants.

According to Mohan, preliminary investigations had revealed that the fire had possibly started from sparks arising out of a welder’s torch. The blaze was first spotted around 3.10pm and brought under control around 8.30pm. More than 15 fire tenders battled the flames.