A tanker carrying 18 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) turned turtle on the Sion-Trombay highway at Mankhurd in the early hours of Monday, triggering a major fire that engulfed nearby slums where one person died and 16 others were injured.

Seven of them are in a critical condition with 100% burns, the doctors said.

The tanker was taking the gas from the BPCL refinery in Chembur to its Pune plant at around 1.30am when the accident took place.

“The driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with the protection pillars on the road. It fell into a ditch, and caught fire,” said Quaiser Khalid, ACP, east region.

Labourers who had built shanties near the ditch sustained severe burns and have been admitted to Sion hospital. The driver was taken to Raja-wadi hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.