Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Burea
A 16-year-old boy died after a firecracker explosion triggered a fire inside a shop at Gate No. 8 of Malvani, Malad (West), in Mumbai on Monday night
The incident came amid a spate of fires across Mumbai during Diwali, with the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) receiving more than 200 firecracker-related fire calls between November 6 and 9.
The fire broke out at around 9.56 pm at a shop near Gate No. 8 in Malvani. Firecrackers and electrical wiring and installations stored inside the approximately 20-ft x 30-ft shop caught fire. The explosion from firecrackers subsequently caused the shop’s slab to collapse.
The fire was extinguished by 10.36 pm, around 40 minutes after it was reported.
The victim suffered 100% burns
The boy, who was in the shop and was initially reported missing, was later found dead inside, with his body severely charred. The victim was rushed to BMC’s Shatabdi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
According to information received from the chief medical officer of Bharatratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal General Hospital in Kandivali, the deceased had suffered 100% burns.
Spate of firecracker in Mumbai
At least 28 people, including two women, were treated for burn injuries at three major Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals following Diwali celebrations, with flowerpot crackers emerging as a major cause of firecracker-related accidents, doctors said.
Cooper Hospital reported the highest number of cases at 16, followed by Nair Hospital with nine and Sion Hospital with three.