A gas leak from a cylinder pipe triggered a flare-up at Hostel 6 on the IIT Bombay campus in Powai, injuring five people, including two minors, according to information reported by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Rajawadi Hospital. The incident was reported at about 10:24 pm on Thursday, October 8, and prompted a response from police and BMC ward staff.
The five injured people were identified as 12-year-old Ansh Ahirwar, nine-year-old Tehzeeb Alam, 37-year-old Ishwar Singh, 34-year-old Shivkumar Singh and 23-year-old Anilkumar Yadav. The two children and Shivkumar Singh were taken to Kasturba Hospital, while Ishwar Singh was admitted to Rajawadi Hospital. Anilkumar Yadav was also sent to Kasturba Hospital.
The hospital medical officer’s information, as cited in the report, said that all five injured people were in stable condition. The initial information indicated that the incident was caused by a gas leak from a cylinder pipe, after which the gas ignited and led to a loud blast and fire inside the hostel premises.
The incident caused panic among students and triggered a deployment of police personnel and BMC ward employees to the campus. The supplied report did not provide details about the extent of damage to the hostel, the condition of the affected room or facility, or whether the hostel resumed normal operations after the response.
The reported incident also places attention on the safety of cooking-gas installations and related infrastructure in residential and institutional accommodation. The source material does not state whether the pipe, cylinder or associated equipment had undergone a recent inspection, nor does it identify any responsibility for the leak. Further investigation is pending.
A separate fire was also reported at a G+1 labour camp for construction workers in Navghar, Mulund East, built under the BMC’s Project Affected Persons project. The fire is believed to have started from a small blaze at the site before gas cylinders exploded. Seven cylinders reportedly burst during the incident.
Everyone present at the Mulund labour camp was evacuated safely, and no casualties were reported in that incident. Fire brigade personnel were at the site and were working to control the fire when the information was reported. Authorities were collecting further details and investigating the cause of the fire.
