12 injured in cylinder blast at Vikhroli housing society

Even as the city and Rajawadi Hospital tried to come to terms with the loss of eight lives from Friday's fire at Kurla's City Kinara, Saturday morning brought in another 12 victims of fire in a similar incident.

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Sapna Chauhan, who suffered 85 per cent burn injuries, was shifted to Kasturba Hospital which has a burns ward. Pic/Sharad Vegda

Twelve residents of Kranti Society in Ambedkar Nagar sustained burn injuries after a fire broke out in a ground-plus-one structure at around 10.45 am. Four of the victims have sustained 60-85 per cent burn injuries and their condition is said to be serious.

The house where the fire started, say neighbours and police, belongs to the Chauhan family. The Chauhans have rented the mezzanine floor to the three-member Danawale family.

Dr Vidya Thakur, medical superintendent at Rajawadi Hospital, said that 20-year-old Sapna Chauhan, was taken to Kasturaba Hospital, which has a burns ward. Sapna's mother Vimal, 50, who also sustained 85 per cent burn injuries has been shifted to Sion hospital.

Their condition is said to be critical. Witnesses said that the fire broke out a little after the Chauhans had borrowed an LPG gas cylinder from a neighbouring house. "Their own LPG cylinder had run out… Perhaps, they hadn't fitted the regulator properly," said Uday Swami, a witness who lives in the area.

The gas leakage and a lit diya on the ground floor mandir made a hazardous combination. As the fire caught one, and the neighbours warned the Danawales, both families escaped. However, a gas cylinder also burst, worsening the impact of the fire.

Chandrakant Danawale, 52, had to jump on to a tin roof from his balcony to escape the flames, during which he injured his knee. Danawale's son Rahul, said the family was watching TV when the fire broke out and only noticed something was wrong when the smoke from the ground floor entered their house.

"While I work at a petrol station, my mother is a domestic help and my father is a rickshaw driver. Usually, we are out of the house by this time," said Rahul who sustained over 15-20 per cent burn injuries. The fire engine arrived at the scene within 30 minutes and the fire was put out in an hour. However, both homes have been charred.

It seems that the impact of the blast was such that even passersby were injured. Devgan Singh (40) was struck by a portion of the wall, which had broken loose. He also sustained severe burn injuries along with a head injury and was shifted to Sion Hospital.