Mumbai: In a tragic incident early Monday morning, a 15-year-old boy died and three others were injured in a fire at a chawl in Machhimar Nagar at Cuffe Parade.
The blaze is suspected to have been triggered by faulty wiring, which caused an electric vehicle battery to explode, severely injuring the four victims as they slept on the first floor of the ground-plus-one structure. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, where two are stable and one remains in the ICU.
Details of the Incident
The incident occurred around 4:00 am in a chawl on Captain Prakash Pethe Marg. According to fire officials, the blaze was confined to electric wiring, installations, three electric vehicle batteries, and household items, affecting a 10x10 ft area on the first floor of the ground-plus-one structure.
“Though the fire was minor, the wiring was completely burned, one EV battery exploded, and two others were damaged. Prima facie, it appears that a battery had been left on charge and suddenly exploded after becoming fully charged,” an official said.
Fire at a Cuffe Parade chawl claims life of 15-year-old boy; three others injured following EV battery explosion | File Photo
The deceased boy was the son of the structure's owner, who ran an ice carrier business requiring electric vehicles — the batteries were likely stored on the first floor, he added.
An official stated, "When we visited the site, there was dense smoke, and the neighbours had already rushed the injured to the nearby hospital."
Injured Taken to Hospital
According to information received from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the deceased has been identified as Yash Khot (15), the son of the owner, Vitthal Khot. His cousin, Viraj Vikas Khot (13), was injured in the incident.
Other injured individuals include the Khot family's neighbour and a worker. Devendra Choudhary (30) is currently admitted to the ICU, while the condition of the other two injured—Viraj and Sangram Kurne (25)—is reported to be stable.
Also Watch:
Investigation Underway
An Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered at the Cuffe Parade Police Station, and further investigation is underway.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
