News / India

Blaze destroys 1,000 slum homes in India's Mumbai

Monday, 07 December 2015 5:24 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 07 December 2015 5:24 PM ]

Rescue workers carry the body of a victim after a fire occurred in a slum area in Mumbai, India, December 7, 2015. (Photo by Reuters)

One person has died and around 1,000 homes have been destroyed after a massive fire sparked by a series of gas cylinder explosions swept through a packed slum in India's main business hub, Mumbai.

"About 1,000 homes have been destroyed," Dhananjay Kulkarni, a deputy commissioner with the Mumbai police, said on Monday.

"There's been one death. The body was completely charred so we can't identify the gender. The death toll may rise," he said.

Prabhat Rahangdale, a senior officer of the Mumbai fire brigade, said the fire department received a call alerting it to the blaze at 12:30 pm (0700 GMT) on Monday.

“Immediately 16 fire engines, 12 water tankers, five fire brigade officials along with other jawans were rushed to the spot to douse the flames," he said.

A warehouse fire swept through the east of Kandivali slum in north of Mumbai and triggered "15 to 20 LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder blasts" in succession, he said.

"Two females sustained burn injuries of 40 and 42 percent and four males sustained minor injuries," he added, further adding that the injured had been transferred to hospital.

Monday's accident was the latest deadly fire-related disaster to have occurred in Mumbai this year.