20160207 India Fire at mattress shop sparks cylinder blasts, 3 of family die
India Feb 07 2016 “Stores”
Dead : dead 1 to 4 Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire at mattress shop sparks cylinder blasts, 3 of family die
Updated: 2016-02-07-17:39
Three members of a family were killed while a fourth managed to escape to safety when a fire broke out at a shop-cum-residential structure at Anand Ghar locality in Vikhroli (west) around 3.15pm on Saturday.
While shop owner Salim Belim (38) managed to escape unhurt, his wife Salma (35) and his two sons—Meharaj (15) and Mohammed (8)—died of severe burns before they could be taken to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.
The family lived on the mezzanine floor and they had a mattress shop at the ground level.
The fire, said the police, started with a few sparks that flew onto mattresses lying in the shop. In no time, the flying sparks snowballed into a huge fire. Two gas cylinders kept nearby exploded.
When the fire broke out, Salim was in the shop while his wife and sons were in the house, said the police. “The fire spread after the spark first came in contact with the mattress. Before he realized what was happening, one of the cooking gas cylinders exploded followed by the other. A case of accidental death has been registered,” said senior inspector Rajendra Kulkarni of Parksite police station.
Residents of the area quickly alerted the police and the fire brigade. Fire engines and water tankers from Vikhroli fire station were sent to the spot.
Chief fire officer P Rahangdale said that while the fire was not major, but the explosion of the two gas cylinders caused the three deaths. “There were beds on the ground floor and cylinders had also been kept,” said Rahangdale. The fire was put out by 6pm.
This incident comes a little over a month after several gas cylinder explosions had caused nearly 2,000 shanties being reduced to ashes at Damu Nagar slum in Kandivli (east) on December 1, 2015.
On October 16, 2015, eight students of Don Bosco College died in a major fire that broke out at City Kinarra restaurant in Kurla.
Web Source: TIMES OF INDIA
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Fire-at-mattress-shop-sparks-cylinder-blasts-3-of-family-die/articleshow/50884148.cms