Seven suffer burn injuries in cylinder blast-triggered fire in Mumbai's Malad

Mumbai, Jan 27 (IANS) At least seven people suffered burn injuries after a fire broke out due to a gas cylinder blast in the Malad area of Mumbai on Tuesday morning, officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) disaster management cell said.

The incident occurred at a chawl located at Malvani Gate No. 8, near A.C. Masjid and beside Bharat Mata School in Malad West. According to officials, the incident was reported at around 9.25 a.m. The BMC’s Mumbai Fire Brigade first received information about the blast and immediately rushed emergency teams to the spot.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder blast resulting from gas leakage inside the chawl. The force of the blast was so powerful that the slab of the first floor collapsed, causing occupants to fall into the ground-floor house below. Several residents sustained burn injuries and were rescued by local residents and emergency personnel.

Officials said the fire was confined to the main valve of the cylinder, a gas stove, an LPG cylinder, AC sheets, and household items, including food supplies and a mattress, in a room on the first floor of a ground-plus-two-storey structure. Firefighters acted swiftly to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby structures.

A total of seven people were reported injured in the incident. Of these, four were taken to Aadhar Hospital, while three were shifted to Care Hospital for medical treatment. Their condition is being closely monitored by doctors, officials added.

Several agencies were mobilised following the incident, including the BMC’s Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police, staff of the concerned electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services, and BMC ward staff. Power supply to the affected area was temporarily disconnected as a precautionary measure during rescue operations.

In a separate incident, five people, including three women, were injured after a helium gas cylinder used for filling balloons exploded in Malegaon town of Maharashtra’s Nashik district on Monday morning, police said. Four of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

The explosion occurred near College Stop in the Malegaon Camp area at around 10.10 a.m. when a vendor was filling gas into balloons. The injured were initially taken to a private hospital in Malegaon and were later shifted to Nashik for advanced medical treatment.

The balloon seller, identified as Mohammed Sadiq Makbool Ahmed (33), a local resident, was taken into custody, a police official said. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 125, 287 and 288, along with provisions of the Explosives Act, at the Malegaon Camp police station.

Experts have reiterated that one of the leading causes of gas cylinder explosions is gas leakage. Such leaks can occur due to faulty valves, loose pipe fittings, cracked hoses or damaged regulators. Accumulated gas can ignite from even a minor spark, leading to explosions. Authorities have advised citizens to regularly check gas fittings and follow safety guidelines to prevent such incidents.