Dharavi fire: Four, including gas agency owner, illegal parking operator, arrested

While no injuries were reported, at least 10 vehicles were burnt in the fire, according to officials

MUMBAI: The Dharavi police have arrested four people after more than 70 LPG cylinders placed in a truck that was parked in an illegal parking lot near the Maharashtra Nature Park on Sion Dharavi Link Road exploded and led to a massive blaze on Monday evening.

Mumbai, India. Mar 25, 2025: View of the Site of fire at the PNGG colony near Dharavi-Sion Link Road in Dharavi area of Mumbai. On Monday night, a massive fire broke out in a truck carrying gas after cylinders exploded. Mumbai, India. Mar 25, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

While no injuries were reported, at least 10 vehicles were burnt in the fire, which was categorised level II (medium emergency) and required 19 fire tenders to douse, according to officials.

The arrested accused included the owner and manager of the gas agency, the operator of the illegal parking lot and a ration shop owner whose truck was also parked at the spot, due to which other vehicles could not be moved, said the police.

“Prima facie, we suspect the fire had started due to gas leakage from one of the cylinders,” said an officer from the Dharavi police station. “However, soon, the whole truck was on fire, with each cylinder blasting huge flames and flying all over the place. Due to a parked rationing truck that was fully loaded, other vehicles could not be moved and, thus, a Toyota Fortuner, small cars and several autos were burnt in the fire.”

The fire started around 9.50 pm on Monday in a truck carrying dozens of LPG cylinders parked in an illegal parking lot run by Tabrez Tariq Shaikh, who was arrested, the police said. The other arrested accused are Ninad Kelkar, the gas agency owner; Nagesh Nawale, the agency’s manager; and Anil Gupta, the owner of the ration shop whose truck blocked other vehicles.

“The LPG gas agency owner, Ninad Kelkar, had given the work to manager Nagesh Nawale, who used to distribute gas cylinders from the same spot. Every day, they supplied around 450 cylinders in the Dharavi area. We have also made Anil Kumar Gupta, the ration shop owner whose truck was parked at the spot, an accused. Due to his vehicle, other vehicles could not be moved,” said the police officer quoted earlier. However, the ration truck blocked the exploding cylinders from flying towards the nearby PNGP colony, added the police officer.

The police have also booked the drivers of the gas agency’s and ration shop’s trucks. “They have been booked under sections 285 (danger or obstruction in public way), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and 324 (mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” said the police officer.

Pramila Patel, a social worker from the area, said she had complained to the authorities about the illegal parking on the road several times, but no action was taken. “Due to heavy vehicles double parking on the road, there are traffic jams,” she said.

Naeem Ansari, a resident of the area, claimed the illegal parking lot was a hub for drug addicts and drunkards. “Everybody was getting hafta (protection money or bribes), so nobody acted against the illegal parking,” he said.

However, the Dharavi police refuted these claims, saying they had acted against the illegal parking earlier and issued several fines to people who parked on the road.