Mumbai: Day after gas pipeline blaze accident, one of three fire victims succumbs to injuries

The victims were sent to Airoli Burn Hospital. Civic officials maintained that Kaithal, who also sustained 50 per cent burn injuries, is currently in critical condition. The other injured person, Suresh Kailas Gupta (52), sustained 20 per cent burn injuries and is in stable condition.

In a statement issued, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) maintained that the road excavation was not carried out by the authorities. The civic body also maintained that they had taken up road concretisation work of the same road.

“A total length of 225 metres was taken up for improvement at this junction. Of this, about 43 metres of work on Jijamata Road in front of an old age home is balanced. The work was started in the last week of February 2025.

“At present, the work is being carried out on the right side of the old age home, whereas the unfortunate incident occurred on the left side, which is outside BMC’s ongoing work site,” the BMC’s statement read.

A civic official said, “We have submitted a report to Mumbai Police and have asked them to investigate the matter because the JCB which damaged the pipeline didn’t belong to us.”

This is the second fire incident that has been reported in two weeks due to a PNG pipeline being damaged while authorities carry out road works. On February 27, a blaze erupted at Mahim West after the PNG pipeline got damaged. While no injuries were reported, a parked JCB at the spot caught fire.