A fire that erupted early Monday morning in a chawl in South Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy and left three other individuals injured. The incident occurred around 4:15 am in a ground-plus-one residential structure located in Shivshakti Nagar, along Captain Prakash Pethe Marg.

Blaze Contained in 20 Minutes by Fire Brigade

The blaze was brought under control within 20 minutes by the Mumbai Fire Brigade, which arrived promptly at the scene. According to fire department officials, the flames were concentrated in a small section approximately 10 feet by 10 feet on the first floor, affecting electrical wiring, installations, household items, and three batteries used in electric vehicles.

Rescue teams transported four people to St George’s Hospital for treatment. One of the victims, Yash Vitthal Khot (15), was declared dead on arrival. A civic official confirmed the identities and conditions of the others injured in the incident: Devendra Choudhary (30), who is currently in the ICU, and Viraj Khot (13) and Sangram Kurne (25), both of whom are said to be stable.

While firefighters successfully contained the flames to a small portion of the building, the tragedy underlined the dangers posed by electrical malfunctions in densely packed residential spaces. “The fire was confined to electric wiring, installations, three electric vehicle batteries and household articles in an area measuring about 10×10 feet on the first floor of the chawl,” said an official.

Authorities from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Disaster Management Cell and the local police also responded to the incident, coordinating efforts with firefighters and BEST personnel to manage the situation and secure the area.

Though some initial suspicion points to a possible short circuit or battery-related failure, investigators have not confirmed the origin of the fire. “The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” an official added.

Emergency cooling operations continued at the site even after the flames were extinguished, as safety teams ensured that no residual heat posed further risk.