Cylinder blast in Mumbai kills woman and 2 children

A short circuit in an upholstery shop led to a massive fire causing two LPG cylinders to explode on the first floor of a building in Vikhroli

Three members of a family, including two children, were killed in a cylinder blast in Vikhroli on Saturday.

A short circuit in an upholstery shop led to a massive fire causing two LPG cylinders to explode on the first floor of a building in Vikhroli.(Prashant Waydande)

A short circuit in an upholstery shop led to a massive fire causing two LPG cylinders to explode on the first floor of a building in Vikhroli. Officers at Parksite police station said the shop owner’s family resided in the floor where the cylinder exploded, minutes after the fire.

The short circuit took place around 3.30pm in the shop owned by Salim Belim. His wife Salma, 40 and sons, Mohammad, 8 and Meheraj, 10, were sleeping after lunch and were killed by the consequent blast.

The fire was brought under control after nearly 3 hours at 6pm. (Prashant Waydande)

Following the sparks in the shop, cotton-stuffed beds in the shop caught fire which later spread, gutting almost 15 beds. The flames then rose to the first floor when the cylinder exploded.

Belim’s daughter Salia rushed to the ground floor to help her father after spotting the fire in the shop.

“After the fire was reported, fire tenders and we reached the spot within 10 minutes. The cylinders exploded within minutes of the fire, before even the fire brigade could reach the spot,” said an officer of Parksite police station.

The fire was brought under control after nearly 3 hours at 6pm.