Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 24: Seven people sustained critical burn injuries after a fire broke out in Ram Kisan Mestri Chawl, located opposite ESIC Hospital in Kandivali East, around 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

According to officials, the blaze is suspected to have been caused by an LPG cylinder leak inside a ground-plus-one shop. The fire, though brought under control within 30 minutes, inflicted significant harm before being extinguished.

Among the severely injured are:

• Raksha Joshi (47) – 85–90% burns
• Durga Gupta (30) – 85–90% burns
• Poonam (28) – 90% burns
• Nitu Gupta (31) – 80% burns
• Shivani Gandhi (51) – 70% burns
• Janaki Gupta (39) – 70% burns

Four of the victims were initially admitted to ESIC Hospital, while three others were taken to Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivali. All were later shifted to Kasturba Hospital for advanced treatment due to the critical nature of their injuries.

In a separate incident, another fire broke out at around 12:15 p.m. in Seva Nagar, near Jarimari Road in Kurla West. The blaze spread across 5–7 hutments, prompting a response from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, which classified it as a Level 1 fire — the lowest in severity.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the Kurla incident. Fire officials are currently investigating the cause of both blazes.

These back-to-back fire outbreaks have raised concerns over safety standards in densely populated areas and the handling of flammable materials like LPG in informal settlements.