A loud blast jolted Bharat Nagar in Bandra East early Friday morning, leaving 15 injured and a ground-plus-two-storey chawl reduced to rubble. The blast sparked panic and speculation among residents, some blaming a faulty air conditioner, others pointing to a leaking gas cylinder. As chaos unfolded and neighbours rushed to rescue the trapped, the cause remained murky until Mumbai Fire Brigade officials confirmed an LPG gas leak triggered the collapse.

Competing theories

Abbas Mohammad Irfan Shaikh, the chawl’s owner, dismissed the gas cylinder theory. “I live on the ground floor with my family, and we were all at home when it happened. Right after the blast, I noticed our air conditioner was affected first. That’s why I believe the compressor exploded,” he told mid-day. Shaikh and his family were rescued by neighbours and escaped without injuries.

Residents and rescue teams assist victims injured in the early morning explosion