Smoke and flames erupted from Hostel 6 at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Powai at 10:24 pm Thursday, forcing a rapid response from police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ward staff. The blaze, originating from a leaking gas cylinder pipe, left five people injured. Among the casualties were two minors: Ansh Ahirwar, 12, and Tahzeeb Alam, 9. The adults injured were Ishwar Singh (37), Shivkumar Singh (34), and Anilkumar Yadav (23).
The incident has raised immediate questions about safety protocols on a premier national campus. An official told reporters that a portion of the hostel may have been utilized as residential quarters, a detail that complicates the narrative of a purely academic setting. BMC teams arrived on the scene immediately to assist in rescuing the injured from the structure.
Medical teams rushed the five victims to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar for initial treatment. Subsequently, all four adult patients—along with the children—were transferred to Kasturba Hospital. Doctors confirmed that all five are currently stable. The specific cause remains the gas cylinder pipe leak, though the investigation into the usage of the hostel space is expected to determine if negligence played a role.
Campus authorities and local police are now reviewing security and safety logs from the night. The focus will shift to verifying the occupancy status of Hostel 6 and assessing the structural integrity of the affected wings. No fatalities were reported in the incident.