Overview
- A powerful blast and fire tore through a first-floor flat in Kharadi’s Fortune City complex on Friday morning after a refilled LPG cylinder was being connected, police said.
- Three family members — 35-year-old Pandurang Gite and his parents Vishnu and Vrundavani Gite — were rushed to hospital and died of their burn injuries during treatment.
- The man’s wife Rajashree and his young daughter Niharika survived with injuries and were taken to hospital, with reports saying the child escaped by jumping from a balcony though that account is sourced to local witnesses.
- Fire tenders from Kharadi, Dhanori and Yerawada used hose reels to douse the blaze and officials reported major damage to the hall, kitchen, electrical wiring and household appliances.
- Police have registered an accidental death case and opened an investigation to establish the precise sequence and technical cause of the LPG leak and ignition, while fire officials warned about the risks of open flames during cylinder replacement.