Boy, 16, dies in Malvani firecracker blast as fires hit five spots in Mumbai on Diwali night

Five fires were reported in Mumbai on Monday night. Some broke out in homes and others in shops because of firecrackers. The saddest incident was in Malvani, Malad West, where a 16-year-old boy died. His death has cast a shadow over Diwali celebrations and left Malad in mourning.

In Malvani, a fire broke out in a ground-floor shop at Gate No. 8, Abdul Hamid Marg. The blaze spread across an area of about 20 by 30 feet. Firecrackers then exploded and the shop's slab collapsed. A boy went missing in the incident and was later found dead inside the shop. His body was completely charred. He was taken in a private ambulance to the BMC-run Shatabdi Hospital. The boy has been identified as Shanawaz Niyaz Khan.

After Malvani, a fire also broke out in Dahisar. At night, the blaze flared up in the Kandarpada area, on the road leading to RBI Colony, near the well-known Gundecha School. Fire brigade vehicles reached the spot immediately after being alerted and brought the fire under control.

A fire broke out in a building in Dharavi. The fire brigade arrived in time after being informed and brought it under control.

In Chunabhatti, at about 2.40 am, the plastic shed of the gymnasium of Sainath Seva Mandal suddenly caught fire. Fire brigade personnel, Chunabhatti police and staff of Mangalmurti Caterers reached the spot on being informed. All of them worked flat out to put out the blaze.

A building in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, also caught fire at night. The fire brigade brought it under control in time.

Apart from the death of the youth in Malvani, there is no information so far of anyone being injured in the other fires.