Mumbai: Construction worker injured in cylinder blast after fire in shanty

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A 25-year-old construction worker was reportedly injured after a cooking gas cylinder exploded on Saturday morning, following a fire at a shanty in the Santacruz West area, police said.

The incident occurred in Ambewadi locality on Golibar Road, an official told PTI.

He said, "A fire broke out in a shanty meant for workers at a construction site. Those present there started dousing flames, but a cylinder exploded suddenly."

According to the police official, the construction worker suffered injuries in the mishap, as reported by PTI.

On being alerted, a water tanker and an ambulance were reportedly rushed to the spot. The injured person was taken to a nearby hospital, the official said, reported PTI.

Earlier, during the ongoing Maharashtra monsoon session, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the state legislative council on Wednesday that 13,000 incidents of fire occurred in Mumbai in the last three years, which claimed the lives of 65 people, reported news agency PTI.

He gave this information in a written response to a query by Congress legislator Bhai Jagtap in the ongoing Maharashtra monsoon session.

"Till January this year, there have been 13,000 fire incidents in Mumbai in the last three years, which have caused the deaths of 65 people and injured 473. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has conducted fire safety audits of 1,270 buildings, with the government finding deficiencies in 278 structures," Eknath Shinde said in his reply, reported PTI.

The BMC has submitted a report indicating that the deficiencies in 278 buildings that were identified in the earlier survey have since been addressed, reported PTI.

The chief minister also stressed that it was mandatory to have fire evacuation lifts in buildings exceeding a height of 70 metres.

Earlier, an LPG cylinder caught fire during the 'palkhi' or palanquin procession being taken out as part of the annual pilgrimage near Saswad town in Pune district on Thursday, officials told PTI.

Nobody was reported injured in the incident as the fire brigade personnel swiftly separated the cylinder and doused the flames, they said.

"The incident took place when some of the pilgrims from a 'dindi', a small group of devotees who are part of the palkhi procession of Saint Dnyaneshwar and Saint Tukaram Maha, were cooking food using the cylinder near Saswad town in Purandar tehsil of the district," a fire brigade official told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)