Mumbai : Bandra East Early Saturday morning, a powerful gas cylinder explosion ripped through a two-storey chawl in Bharat Nagar, Bandra East, causing a partial structural collapse that injured 15 residents. Two of the victims are reported to be in critical condition.
The explosion occurred within a home on the first floor when gas from a leaking LPG cylinder ignited, triggering the collapse shortly afterward. Emergency services, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, and BMC disaster management teams, responded quickly to the scene .
Those injured—a mix of men, women, children, and elderly—were promptly taken to nearby hospitals. Two elderly residents, aged around 65 and 68, suffered severe burns (approximately 50% of their bodies) and remain under critical care at KEM Hospital .
Rescuers successfully pulled six individuals trapped under the rubble, including a mother and son who were trapped for several hours. An adjoining mosque also suffered damage during the incident; authorities evacuated it to facilitate rescue efforts .
Local civic authorities have launched an investigation into the structural integrity of the temporary upper floors, suspected to be built without proper approval. The cause is believed to be the flash ignition of accumulated gas from the leaking cylinder. Officials have also deployed additional monitoring teams in similar residential clusters to identify and address unsafe constructions .
Key Details
Casualties: 15 injured; 2 in critical condition with severe burns
Location: Bharat Nagar chawl (ground plus two-storey), Bandra East
Time of Incident: Early Friday morning
Cause: Flash fire ignited leaking LPG cylinder, leading to a structural collapse
Response: Fire Brigade, police, BMC disaster teams; mosque evacuated for access
Status: Ongoing investigation into structural safety and legality of upper floors
No fatalities have been reported. Civic officials have called for stricter enforcement against unauthorized construction and are considering safety audits in high-risk areas.
