Minor among 5 women injured in septic tank blast

Five women, including a minor girl, were injured after a septic tank of a public toilet exploded on Friday morning in Bharat Nagar area of Chembur. According to the police, one of the lids on the tank blew due to high pressure and people inside the facility suffered burns; two of them were critically injured and admitted to a civic-run hospital.

Following the incident, the injured were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital and the RCF police officials booked the owner of Jaishriram Mandal, which runs the public toilet, for negligence.

According to the police, the incident happened at around 7.30 am near Bharat Nagar, HPCL Colony, where several residents were waiting in a queue near a public toilet to answer nature’s call.

A local, who was standing in the queue, said, “I heard a loud voice following which everyone started running helter-skelter. We were confused as what to do and then saw three women lying on the road injured”.

A police official said, “The septic tank built by the BMC officials were not according to norms. The rule states that the tank must be built outside the toilet and buried deep inside and there must be a pipeline to remove the gas from the tank. The absence of these things led to the accident”.

Dilip Yadav, senior police inspector with RCF police station, said, “We are in the process of finding out the BMC official who approved the urinal. If needed, we will also arrest that official”.

Four women and a minor girl, who are all residents of Bharat Nagar, HPCL Colony, were present inside the toilet when the blast happened at around 7.30 am.

An eyewitness said, “Due to the pressure, a metal lid went high up in the air. People standing in the queue were not affected, however, those standing near the tank were the most affected.

The victim, identified as Shama Revenkar (35), suffered 70 per cent burns; her daughter Nanadani, (4) was admitted with 45 per cent burns. Both have been admitted to Sion Hospital and declared critical. Other victims, identified as Qausar Shaikh (35), Alka Kesarwani (35) and Sunanda Gaikwad (40), have been admitted to Rajawadi Hospital.