Fire breaks out in Thane chawl, 11 hurt

Eleven people were injured after a fire broke out in a house located in a chawl near Siddheshwar lake, Khopat, following a gas leak on Tuesday.

Eleven people were injured after a fire broke out in a house located in a chawl near Siddheshwar lake, Khopat, following a gas leak on Tuesday.

HT Image

The injured, including three women and two children, were admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital and Dr Bhanushali Hospital.

Sakshi, 4, and Samruddhi Yermule, 11 months, were later shifted to Wadia Hospital while their parents and grandfather were shifted to Sion hospital.

The gas leak took place in Manohar Pangare’s, 34, residence in the Anna Madrasi chawl. He and his wife Manali, 30, suffered burn injuries while their 11-year-old daughter escaped unhurt.

“I had kept the pressure cooker and the tea vessel on the gas. But soon after the first whistle, the cylinder got empty so I switched off the knobs. When my husband woke up he change the cylinder,” said Manali.

“On removing the seal, there was a spurt of gas maybe because the safety valve was broken. He immediately turned it upside down in a bucket full of water and turned off the main switch. When we were stepping out, the fire broke out and we were caught in the blaze,” she added.

Due to the close proximity of the houses in the chawl, the fire spread quickly.

The Yermules were the most affected. Ashok Yermule, 34, his wife Varsha, 25, two daughters and father Bhagwat, 65, were also injured. Samruddhi, who suffered 70% burns, Bhagwat, 68%, and Ashok, 63% burns, are critical.

“They were sleeping downstairs when the incident took place. I was making tea upstairs, so I got saved. Neighbours helped me come out and also tried to douse the fire till the fire brigade arrived,” said Ashok’s mother. Two other residents — Anil Kerkar, 30, and Ashish Patil, 15, suffered minor injuries while they were dousing the fire.

Ashish, his mother Aruna, 34, and Gulab Bhosale, 50, are undergoing treatment at Bhanushali Hospital.

Chief fire officer Arvind Mandke said there was a gas leak the investigations are on.

“There is confusion about how the fire broke out. We have called the Bharat gas officials to investigate the matter,” said police inspector Hemant Sawant from Naupada police station.