Mumbai: An infant and a five-year-old were among four members of a family injured when a cooking gas cylinder exploded, causing a minor fire at a tenement in BDD Chawl, Worli, on Tuesday morning. The family was rushed to the civic-run BYL Nair hospital at Mumbai Central.
The four injured have been identified as Anand Puri, 27, Mangesh Puri, 4 months, Vidya Puri, 25, and Vishnu Puri, 5. Four-month-old Mangesh and his father Anand are said to be critical, while his mother Vidya and elder brother Vishnu are stable.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Dr Sarika Patil, AMO to the Dean of Nair Hospital, said, “The two children and their parents are admitted in our hospital, having suffered burn injuries. The father is critical and we are doing everything we can, as per the disaster protocols.”
The incident occurred at BDD Chawl No. 3, Kamgar Vasahat, Ganpatrao Jadhav Marg in Worli at 7.11am on Tuesday. Following a cylinder blast, a fire broke out in the room where the family resided, said a Mumbai Fire Brigade officer. “It was a Level-1 blaze. A firefighter and a water tanker were rushed to the spot and the blaze was doused immediately; however the family suffered severe burns,” the official said.
Eyewitness account
Roshan Sakharam Dhotre, 42, is a friend and neighbour of Anand Puri. “The family has been our neighbour for the past five years. When we heard the explosion, we were shocked. On realising something had happened at Puri’s house I rushed across and was the first to reach there. However, the family had already suffered severe burns. I could see Anand’s skin was peeling off. We rushed them to the nearby Podar Hospital in Worli. However, we were told to take them to Nair hospital.”
Another neighbour, Mohammed Nabi, 36, said: “The couple had been running a tiffin service for the last five years. It seems there was a gas leak. However, the doors and windows of the room were shut. We were told that as soon as they switched on the light, the explosion occurred.”
Left unattended: BMC to conduct a departmental inquiry
A video showing Anand Puri and his family crying in pain and lying unattended in a room went viral on social media. The clip shows three people talking over the phone and not attending to the injured promptly. The video was reportedly shot by a friend of the family, who threatened to post the video on social media but the hospital staff are seemingly unaffected by his threat. Further, the video even shows the injured infant crying in pain from the severe burn injuries on his back and thighs.
Meanwhile, Nair Hospital Dean Dr Ramesh Bharmal has ordered a departmental inquiry into the reason for the delay in admitting the injured family. When the clip was brought to the notice of Dr Bharmal, he said, “A departmental inquiry into the matter has already been initiated. We will soon find out what caused the delay.”
Dr Patil said, “We are conducting an inquiry in the matter and if anyone is found guilty, they will face action. As of now, all four patients are admitted at Nair Hospital.”
