Mumbai: Mahim Eatery Fire Claims One Life, Leaves Seven Injured; Cylinder Blast Suspected
Mumbai, 14th June 2025: A devastating fire broke out at an eatery along Mahim’s Dargah Road on Friday evening, resulting in the death of a 38-year-old man and injuries to seven others. The incident occurred around 6:40 PM in a ground-floor establishment that functions as both an eatery and a cloud kitchen, located near the footpath of the busy Dargah Road, a link between Mahim Dargah and Cadell Road, close to Mahim railway station.
The deceased was identified as Noor Alam (38), a cook at the establishment. According to officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management unit, Alam suffered fatal burns after being caught in the flames, while seven others — Pravin Pujari (34), Mukesh Gupta (34), Shiv Mohan (24), Deepali Godatkar (24), Sana Shaikh (25), Shridevi Bandichhode (31), and Kamlesh Jaiswal (22) — are currently undergoing treatment at Sion Hospital.
Chief Fire Officer Ravindra Ambulgekar confirmed that the fire likely originated from an LPG cylinder explosion, suspected to have been triggered by a short circuit in the AC compressor located dangerously close to the kitchen. “The kitchen space was extremely cramped. While the fire was intense, its location on the ground floor helped many escape in time. Had this been on an upper level, casualties could’ve been much higher,” he added.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud blast before the area was engulfed in flames. Asif Ali, a flower vendor nearby, recalled, “There was a deafening noise, and we rushed to the scene. Fridays are busy at the Dargah — the crowd was massive. Locals immediately started helping with the rescue before the fire brigade arrived.”
Hussain Rizvi, a shop owner in the vicinity, stated the eatery lacked any built-in firefighting measures. “We used extinguishers to stop the fire from spreading to adjacent shops, including a clothing outlet. Had the fire spread further, the consequences could’ve been catastrophic,” he said.
Fire officials managed to control and douse the flames within 30 minutes of the alert, containing the blaze to the kitchen area. The fire was fully extinguished by 7:15 PM.
The tragedy unfolded just two days after the Bombay High Court held the BMC accountable for a deadly 2015 fire in Kurla, which killed eight. This latest incident once again raises pressing questions about fire safety compliance in eateries and cloud kitchens across Mumbai.
