8 hurt as four houses collapse after gas cylinder explosion in Chembur; 11 rescued

Gas cylinder explosion in Mumbai's Chembur area causes four chawl houses to collapse, injuring eight people. Two residents in critical condition.

Mumbai: At least eight persons were injured as four chawl houses in the Old Barrack area of Chembur came crashing down after a gas cylinder exploded in one of them around 7:45am on Wednesday.

Mumbai, India - Nov. 29, 2023: House collapse has been reported due to a cylinder blast at Chembur area in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Neighbours said 11 residents were rescued, while most of the residents sustained minor injuries, the couple in the ground floor house where the blast originated sustained severe burns - Sunanda Nirbhawane, 49, with 80% burn injuries at Sion Hospital where she is in critical condition, and Manoj Nirbhawane, 54, with 35-40% burn injuries to his legs at the ICU in Swastik Hospital.

“It felt like an earthquake,” said Deepak Kamble, 39, a resident on the first floor. “There was a big explosion and suddenly there was so much smoke everywhere. I had come back after dropping my eldest son off at school.”

In order to save his kids first, Kamble’s brother, Rahul, 35, took the impact of the wall collapse, sustaining injuries on his back. “I was drinking chai before dropping my three-year-old at school. Luckily, my one-year-old was asleep, as he keeps running around the house every day,” he said. “My back is still slightly swollen, but I’ve gotten treatment at Shatabdi.” The brothers together first got their children out of the rubble, and then their wives, and then themselves.

Manu Haribhai Patel’s wife was sitting in their first-floor house when part of their house caved in. Patel’s wife was in the portion of the house that did not collapse and made out safely. A preliminary checkup of his wife turned out to be fine. Receiving ready help from the neighbours, all of the residents from the collapsed houses were pulled to safety well before the arrival of the fire brigade.

The family of Mahindra Singh and his pet dog who were stuck in their first-floor house as the wall had fallen on the staircase on their way down were rescued by the neighbours, who brought a wooden ladder and got them to safety. Deepak and many neighbours witnessed the burn victim, in a state of trance after the burst. One of the residents Esha Bhathija and others said the blast occurred when Sunanda lit the lighter, catching the gas leak around. Fire officials confirmed a gas cylinder burst was the suspected cause, adding that the eight others injured with minor injuries had been discharged. The collapse had also buried the door of another house opposite, trapping the eleven people inside.Till afternoon, workers and residents were clearing out the debris left by the collapses. One slab of the wall was still leaning precariously on the wall of the house just opposite, which is why officials at the site had barred entry into the lane. The residents feared for their valuables.

Children, including Rahul and Deepak, were still clad in their school uniform and played around, as the gurdwara in the chawl distributed food. It was where the residents without family nearby would likely stay the night, as they figured out their next steps.