5 Mumbai Houses Collapse After Gas Cylinder Explosion, 11 Rescued

Eleven people were rescued from under five houses in Mumbai's Chembur which collapsed following a gas cylinder explosion on Wednesday, fire officials said. The violent blast ripped through the houses situated in a narrow lane, trapping several residents under the debris.

The explosion, that occurred around 8 am at Old Barrack near Golf Club area, led to the collapse of several four to five single-storey buildings. Visuals from the spot show the destroyed buildings with collapsed staircases and balconies hanging in the air.

The fire department reached the spot and started a rescue operation. So far, 11 people have been evacuated safely. Out of which 4 have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. "The injured have been identified as 50-year old Vikas Ambhore, 27-year-old Ashok Ambhore, Dr. Kedar, 47-year-old Savita Ambhore and 29-year-old Rohit Ambhore," said Dr Kedar, at Shatabdi Hospital.

Fire brigade, policemen and ambulance services are on the spot. The rescue operation is still on.

This comes nearly two weeks another gas cylinder blast in Mumbai's Bandra injured eight people. Several of those injured sustained severe burns affecting 35 to 40 percent of their bodies. "The incident took place in the Bandra area of Mumbai around 6.19 am on Saturday. We believe that the fire was caused by an LPG cylinder explosion," an official in the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) said.