Mumbai: Gas leak triggers fire, devastates Kandivli woman’s catering shop

Like every morning 51yearold Shivani Gandhi opened her catering shop in Kandivli East on Wednesday But within hours the day turned into the biggest tragedy of her life when a leaking gas cylinder triggered a massive fire between 8830 am ldquoI am not in city I was shocked when I was informed about the incident I am on my way back on the earliest available flight I am not in a condition right now to say anythingrdquo said her husband Mitul Gandhi breaking down over the phoneThe fire broke out at a catering shop in Ramkishan Mistry Chawl Kandivli East PicsSatej ShindeThe blaze left several workers severely injured While some victims were rushed to ESIC Hospital in Kandivli opposite the accident site others were taken to Shatabdi Hospital ldquoWhen we reached the spot Raksha Joshi 47 Durga Gupta 30 and Putani Gautam alias Poonam 28 were already shifted to Shatabdi We shifted Gandhi Nitu Gupta 31 Janaki Gupta 39 and Manaram Kumakat 55 to ESIC Kandivli from where they were later moved to National Burns Hospital in Airolirdquo said PD Sandhikar divisional head Mumbai Fire BrigadeTwo twowheelers parked outside the shop were gutted in the fireDoctors confirmed the extent of the injuries Gandhi sustained 95 per cent burns Nitu and Janaki suffered 80 per cent and 85 per cent burns while Kumakat had 40 per cent burns but remains critical ldquoWe did first aid and stabilised them but due to the seriousness of their burns they had to be shifted to the specialised burns hospitalrdquo said Dr Shantanu Shukla CMO at ESICAt National Burns Hospital medical director Dr Sunil Keswani said ldquoGandhi and both the Guptas inhaled large amounts of smoke Since they could not breathe on their own they were put on ventilators Their vital signs are steady but survival chances remain grim Kumakatrsquos injuries were more superficial so we operated immediately and he is under ICU observation for the next 48 hours We may operate on Nitu on Thursday if her condition stabilisesrdquo Meanwhile Putani and Durga who sustained 90 per cent burns were shifted to Kasturba Hospital by their families after doctors advised transferring them due to lack of supplies and the high cost of treatment at the private facilityRescuerRelatives of the victims wait outside hospital PicsRitika GondhalekarJayprakash Mistry a local resident told midday ldquoI was at home when I noticed the smell of gas I checked inside my house and then went outside where I saw the fire had broken out in Shivanirsquos shop I took a fire extinguisher and tried to put it out While doing so I sustained minor burns on my leg Two parked bikes outside the shop also caught fire We immediately informed the fire brigade who rushed to the spot and extinguished the blazerdquolsquoLuck was with themrsquoKavita a coworker outside the private hospitalKavita M another worker at the shop narrowly escaped the tragedy ldquoI was late today because of some work at home If I had reached 15 minutes earlier I would have been in the hospital too I just pray they surviverdquo she said Kumar who regularly delivers vegetables to the shop recalled his close brush with disaster ldquoSometimes I help them arrange supplies inside the shop Luckily I didnrsquot enter today Everything happened before my eyes I will never forget itrdquoHow fire startedRavindra Ambulgekar chief fire officer said ldquoThe gas was leaking and one of the staff members noticed it He placed the leaking cylinder into a water drum while only a few staff were present in the shop The gas remained trapped inside the water Later the staff locked the shutter and returned with other colleaguesrdquoFrom left Shivani Gandhi suffered 95 per cent burns Jayprakash Mistry who tried to douse blaze and alerted officials and Manoj Kumar husband of victim Putani outside the hospital PicSpecial ArrangementldquoWhen they came back and opened the shop shutter the smell of gas was very strong They checked the cylinder and one of the staff switched on the light Suddenly the fire spread through the wiring due to the gas leakage All the staff tried to rush outside but they were trapped inside the blazerdquo he explainedThe seven people who are injuredShivani Gandhi 53 around 95 per cent burnsNitu Gupta 31 around 80 per cent burnsRaksha Joshi 47 85ndash90 per cent burnsJanaki Gupta 39 85 per cent burnsManaram Kumavat 55 40 per cent burnsDurgavati Gupta 25 90 per cent burnsPoonam Gupta 30 90 per cent burns