Gas cylinder blast in Santacruz chawl kills four

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The injured are Sailkumari Dikshit (40) who has suffered 75 per cent burns, Meera Upadhyay and Shobha Rajendra Dikshit (35). All three were rushed to the civic-run V N Desai hospital. Shobha Dikshit is admitted with 15 per cent burns while Upadhyay is getting treated for shock. Both resided on the first floor of the chawl.

“Upadhyay did not receive any burn injury,” said Ashok Bapu, superintendent of the hospital. Saikumari was later transferred to Kasturba Hospital, Chinchpokli, for advanced care and support. “She is in a critical condition,” said hospital superintendent Dr Chandrakant Pawar.
According to the police, the Dikshit family works at a printing press in Santacruz and lived on rent in the ground plus one shanty.

“The accident happened when Sailkumari was cooking. One of the gas cylinders was almost over when and she attempted to fix another cylinder to the stove,” said Subhash Wavale, senior inspector, Vakola police station.

He added that Sailkumari did not switch off the connection of the first cylinder before making the switch. “She uncorked the second cylinder and there was an instant explosion,” Wavale added.

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