LPG tanker explosion kills one, hits traffic in Mumbai's eastern suburbs

Mumbai: One person was killed and 14 injured when a gas tanker caught fire near a slum in Mankhurd in Mumbai early Monday, officials said. The incident took place around 2 am when the tanker carrying around 18 tonnes of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) gas suddenly caught fire. There was a loud explosion. The blazing tanker overturned and the flames quickly spread to the nearby slums. [caption id=“attachment_647844” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption]One person, whose identity has yet to be established, was killed while 14, including three women, sustained burn injuries. According to officials, nearly 20 fire tenders, including water tankers and foam dispensers, were deployed to battle the flames. Traffic on a part of the Eastern Express Highway was been suspended to facilitate fire-fighting operations. Motorists traveling towards Thane had to encounter traffic as a portion of the Eastern Express highway was shut to allow cleaning efforts. Here are some details of the Eastern Express highway that were affected by the explosion: https://twitter.com/Traffline/status/308509622271111168 https://twitter.com/Traffline/status/308533522577121280 with inputs from IANS