Major fire at slum in suburban Mumbai

Reports said that it was a warehouse fire that swept through the slum after triggering a series of gas cylinder explosions.

As per the fire brigade officer, from the location, nearly 20-25 explosions, from bursting cylinders, contributed to the rage of the fire, which soon spread across the area.

The fire was brought under control after around two hours of efforts, after which officials entered the burned down remains of the slum to look for any victims or survivors.

According to the Disaster Management Cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the fire broke out at around 11:30 am, in the dense hutment area of Damu Nagar in North Mumbai. About 175 fire fighters were involved in the major rescue operation.

In June, a fire in a high-rise apartment block in Mumbai killed seven people after they became trapped in a lift on the upper floors. They used 16 fire engines and eight water tankers to douse the fire.

@mumbaicommunity Very Massive fire at Kandivali East, Damu Nagar.

Fire and police officials said an investigation into the cause was under way, but television stations cited local residents as saying the blaze occurred after gas cylinders exploded.

Witnesses on Twitter had reported multiple explosions in the northern suburb, Kandivali, posting photos and film footage of a plume of thick black smoke rising over the place.