Mumbai: Two people were killed and 12 injured when a massive fire broke out on Monday at a slum in suburban Kandivili where around 15 gas cylinders exploded one after the other, Fire Brigade officials said.
More than 30 people were rushed to Shatabdi Hospital and other private hospitals in Kandivili and it is likely the death toll may go up.
The incident took place between 12.15pm to 12.45pm at Damu Nagar slums where, officials said, the fire had been brought under control but firefighting operations were still under way.
More than 1,000 slum homes were gutted in the fire, for which 16 fire engines and 10 tankers of water had to be deployed.
It is not clear how the fire initially erupted but it spread into a cluster of shanties after a series of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder explosions.
A fire department official described the blaze as a Category 2 fire, when more than 15 fire fighting teams are deployed. The congested slum pocket made it hard for fire fighters to reach the blaze.
According to reports the cylinders were stored illegally in a godown situated near the Western Express Highway. TV videos showed a plume of black smoke rising from the crowded slum areas.
Residents living in the neighbourhood said they heard sounds of several explosions in a row and after that people were evacuated from the area. The extent of the damage is huge as the area is densely populated.
Police cordoned off the area and were trying to verify the claims of local residents. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
Cylinder explosions have been taking a big toll of human lives in the city as in October this year eight people died when a cooking gas cylinder exploded in a restaurant in Kurla.
In October 2013, a gas cylinder blast killed four and injured three others in Santacruz whilst there has been several incidents through the years when one or two persons have died due to such mishaps.
