Malad shanty fire: Blaze guts 100 homes at Jamrushi Nagar, 15 people injured

The fire broke out around 11.15 am at Jamrushi Nagar, near Wagheshwari temple, on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande

A 12-year-old boy lost his life after a major fire broke out, followed by a series of LPG cylinder explosions, around 11.15 am at Jamrushi Nagar, near Wagheshwari temple in Kurar Village, Malad East, on Monday. The child, Prem Tukaram Bore, had told his 11-year-old friend he would come out to play with him after finishing some chores.

Little did the two know that the day would end in tragedy, with one of them losing his life and the other losing his home.

As many as 100 hutments were gutted in the flames. While Bore was killed in the blast, 15 others were injured.

The deceased was trapped in one of the hutments and had inhaled smoke. Pics/Sameer Markande

Officials from the disaster management unit of the BMC and the Mumbai Fire Brigade said Bore was trapped in one of the hutments and had inhaled smoke. Disturbing photos and videos of Bore lying in a pool of blood were circulated among locals.

The child was rushed to the local Shatabdi hospital but was declared dead by doctors there.

Also Read: IN PHOTOS: Massive fire breaks out in Kurar Village of Malad, 12-year-old boy killed

The 11-year-old, requesting anonymity, said, "I asked him to come to play, but he said he was busy and had to finish some chores. He asked me to go ahead, saying he would join me half an hour later. We then heard huge explosions. I saw people running around with their belongings. Our houses just vanished in the fire."

Eight fire engines and four jumbo tankers were pressed into service after the fire brigade learnt of the incident. "Those who sustained injuries were taken to nearby hospitals. Most of them were discharged after receiving primary treatment," said a Mumbai Fire Brigade officer at the spot.

Angry residents mobbed and beat up a few media persons who had reached the spot to cover the incident.

Entering the narrow and dirty lanes towards Jamrushi Nagar gives one a feeling of entering a hamlet with hillocks, stony uneven roads and kutcha houses made of plastic and metal sheets, and bricks in a few cases.

An estimated 14,000 families live in the area, said a BMC official at the spot. Most of them are encroachers. The ill-fated 100 hutments that were gutted were part of the same slum set-up.

The Bombay High Court directed the forest department to rehabilitate eligible slum dwellers living outside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 1997. Those eligible were supposed to pay R7,000 for a flat. Around 33,000 slum families living between Borivli and Malad in the western suburbs and Mulund in the eastern suburbs had paid up and 13,500 of them were shifted and rehabilitated on quarry land in Chandivli. The rest have been awaiting rehabilitation, which is pending as - according to the government - no new buildings can be built for slum rehabilitation at Chandivli because it is near an airport funnel area.

However, since thousands were in need of rehabilitation, the then-BJP government decided to shift the slum dwellers to Aarey. However, the Maha Vikas Aghadi later came to power in the state, the pandemic struck and Aarey was declared a forest.

"Those eligible and who have paid R7,000 should be rehabilitated. Their condition is very bad. For now, we are trying to help all those affected by the fire," said Vinod Mishra, former corporator from Kurar village.

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Age of deceased's friend who lost home