Seven people were injured in a fire that broke out in Malad in the western suburbs of Mumbai on Tuesday morning following a cylinder explosion.
Authorities said the injured are currently receiving treatment for their burns at a hospital and their condition is being monitored. They are yet to be identified.
According to the Bombay Fire Brigade (MFB) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) disaster cell, the cylinder exploded in a hut in Malvani chawl, following which the fire spread rapidly.
Civic officials said the explosion occurred around 9:25 am, after which the main valve of the cylinder caught fire along with the gas stove, cylinders and a mattress. Before long, the entire cabin was on fire. Local residents managed to bring the fire under control within 15 minutes.
“The injured were inside the cabin when the fire started. They suffered burns while trying to escape,” an official told The indian express. A large number of cylinders were kept in the chawl and one of them was leaking which led to the explosion, officials said.
In April 2024, 14 people, including four elderly people and one minor, were injured in a similar fire in Malad. Among the injured, four suffered serious burns. In another incident reported the same month, a 70-year-old man lost his life in Mumbai’s Antop Hill.