Fire in Mumbai’s Dharavi: Death toll rises to 5

The fire in Mumbai’s Dharavi broke out after a gas cylinder, abandoned in a narrow lane, started to leak

The number of casualties in the gas leak and fire incident in Dharavi’s Shahu Nagar last Sunday rose to five with four of the 17 people injured in the incident succumbing to their injuries over the past four days. They were being treated at Lokmanya Tilak General Hospital or Sion hospital.

Fire broke out in Dharavi in Mumbai after a gas leak last Sunday. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

An eight-year-old, identified as Sonu Jaiswal, who was injured in the incident died on last Tuesday morning. Sitaradevi Jaiswal, 40, who had sustained 50% to 60% burns and was critical, succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday. Anju Goutam, 28, was also in a critical condition and died on Thursday. Shoukat Ali, 58, who had sustained 50% to 60% burns, and Feroz Ahmed, 35, succumbed on Friday.

The gas cylinder, abandoned in a narrow lane, had started leaking and caught fire opposite Hotel Mubarak in Dharavi around 12.15pm last Sunday. According to a civic official who spoke at the time, the fire occurred as someone dropped a cigarette beside it, unknowingly.

Of those injured in the incident, four have been discharged from the hospital, five are in a stable condition and three are critical.