Two killed in Mumbai slum blaze

Two people, including a child, were burnt to death and 11 others, including three women, suffered injuries in a fire that led to several gas cylinders exploding in a northwest Mumbai slum on Monday, officials said.

An official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's disaster control cell said the fire erupted around 12.30 p.m. in the sprawling and densely populated Damunagar slum.

Within minutes, several gas cylinders in a nearby warehouse also caught fire and started exploding.

Witnesses said there were at least half a dozen deafening explosions and a thick smoke billowing from the flames was visible from several kilometres.

Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Fatehsingh Patil confirmed that a charred body was recovered while several other unidentified victims were rushed to BMC's Ambedkar Hospital.

A Disaster Control Cell official said around 2,000 hutments were reduced to ashes and the impact of the exploding cylinders led to a power failure in the entire locality that comprises posh skyscrapers of Thakur village.

Over 15 fire tenders, 10 water tankers and five ambulances were engaged in the relief operations and the fire was brought under control after nearly three hours.

The cause of the massive blaze, that engulfed an area spread over over 5,000 square metres, was being investigated. - IANS