Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Gas-Filled Balloons Ignite in Mumbai Lift, Injuring Two as Vendor Is Booked

Police have booked the vendor on negligence charges pending findings on the gas used.

Overview

  • CCTV video from Anmol Tower in Goregaon West shows a brief fireball on Feb. 2 after a delivery worker entered a lift with a bundle of balloons, sending three occupants scrambling out.
  • The injured were identified as student Himani Tapriya, 21, and delivery worker Raju Kumar Mahato; a treating hospital told Mid-day she has deep burns over roughly 15–20% of her body, though some earlier reports called the injuries minor.
  • Goregaon police registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 125 against the balloon shop owner, named in reports as Tripurari (T.K.) Jaiswal, over alleged lack of safety instructions to the delivery worker.
  • Investigators have not confirmed what gas filled the balloons, as officials and safety experts warn hydrogen is highly flammable and say transporting such gases in lifts can violate Maharashtra fire-safety rules.
  • Police said the balloons were ordered for a birthday by a resident, and the probe continues as the widely shared CCTV clip fuels public warnings about handling gas-filled balloons in enclosed, electrically operated spaces.