Four injured in fire at cylinder godown in Mumbai; owner held

Four people were injured onWednesday morning after a major fire broke out in a godown insuburban Andheri which caused LPG cylinders stored there toexplode, officials said.

Some neighbourhood houses also suffered damage in thefire, they said, adding the godown owner was arrested hourslater.

The blaze erupted around 9.40 am due to a cylinderblast in the godown located on Yari Road in Versova area ofthe western suburb, they said.

Four people were injured and taken to the nearbyCooper Hospital, the officials said, adding the fire was putout after four hours around 1.30 pm.

The injured, all daily wage workers, were identifiedby the police as Rakesh Kadu (30), Laxman Kumvat (24), ManjitKhan (20) and Mukesh Kumvat (30).

Two of the injured (Kadu and Laxman Kumvat) sustained40 per cent burns, while the others (Khan and Mukesh Kumvat)suffered 60 per cent injuries, police said.

A civic official said 16 fire brigade vehicles,including water jetties, were used for fire fighting.

According to officials, several LPG cylinders werestored in the godown and many of them burst while the blazewas being doused.

The explosions caused panic in the area.

The godown owner, Hoti Wadilal (45), has beenarrested, a police official said.

Initial probe revealed he was operating the godownillegally in a residential locality, the official said.

Wadilal was booked under various sections of theIndian Penal Code (IPC), including 285 (negligent conduct withrespect to fire or combustible matter), 308 (attempt to commitculpable homicide), 337 and 338 (grievous hurt by actendangering life or personal safety of others) and under theEssential Commodity Act, he said.

He will be produced before a court in Andheri onThursday, the official added.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and deputy Mayor SuhasWadkar visited the spot and later Cooper Hospital.

The mayor also spoke to the residents whose housessuffered damage in the fire, and directed officials to paythem suitable compensation.

''It is wrong to store cooking gas cylinders in aresidential area which poses risk to the life of people. Aprobe will be conducted and a strict action will be takenagainst the guilty,'' the mayor said.

She also appealed to the citizens to report anyillegal storage of highly-inflammable materials to the Mayor'soffice, and assured action.

A standard procedure will soon be put in place toavoid such incidents in future, Pednekar added.