Impact causes upper floor of house to cave in with occupants, injuring people from two families
The ceiling of first floor caved in, causing the occupants to fall through
A quiet Tuesday morning in Malwani turned into a scene of chaos after a gas leak triggered a massive explosion that ripped through a residential structure, leaving seven people from two families with burn injuries and reducing parts of the structure to rubble.
The blast occurred around 9.30 am inside a two-storey chawl structure near AC Masjid, located at MHB Colony gate no. 8 in Malwani, Malad West. Police said the explosion occurred in a first-floor house occupied by the Chaudhary family, where gas had allegedly leaked and accumulated after an LPG cylinder emptied completely.
The moment someone attempted to ignite the stove, the trapped gas exploded violently, turning the house into a ball of fire within seconds. Windows shattered, and glass rained onto the street below, while metal roof sheets were blown apart and the ceiling collapsed.
The first floor house where the blast occurred. Pics/By Special Arrangement
The injured from the Chaudhary family have been identified as Vijay Ashok Chaudhary, 55, Ruma Vijay Chaudhary alias Khan, 43, Alisha Vijay Chaudhary alias Khan, 20, Tausif Vijay Chaudhary alias Khan,22, and Alikasam, 18.
The impact was so powerful that the second-floor slab gave way and crashed onto the first floor, trapping occupants in flames and debris.
Living on the second floor was Aftab Alam Ansari, 55, with his wife Julekha Ansari, daughters Nusrat Sheikh, 29, and Nilofar Sheikh, 24 — both school teachers — and his two-year-old grandson Adil Sheikh. Julekha and the toddler suffered burn injuries after falling into the inferno below.
Aftab Alam narrowly escaped as he was bathing in the bathroom at the time, while his daughters were not at home, having left for work earlier.
Residents described the explosion as “earth-shaking”. “The walls trembled… people rushed out thinking it was an earthquake. Glass was scattered all over the lane. We heard screams from upstairs and ran to help,” a neighbour said.
Before police and fire brigade teams could arrive, locals rushed the injured to nearby private hospitals, from where they were referred to Shatabdi Hospital, moved to Cooper Hospital, and finally admitted to KEM Hospital for advanced treatment.
Aftab Alam’s relative Irshad Shaikh said that Julekha and her grandson were initially taken to Cooper Hospital, but are now being shifted to KEM Hospital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, a relative of the Chaudhary family, Saqib Husain, who is associated with the music industry, told mid-day that his aunt Ruma and her cousin Alisha have been put on ventilator support at KEM Hospital, while the condition of the other injured persons is also serious.
Local corporator Rafik Sheikh and his brother Siraj Sheikh, among those who rushed to help, arranged ambulances and closely coordinated medical assistance for the injured.
The police and fire officials are investigating the cause of the gas leak and assessing structural damage to the building.
07
No. of people injured
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
