A terrifying fireball engulfed a crowded lift in a Mumbai residential building after a bundle of party balloons dramatically exploded, leaving two people with burns in a shocking incident captured on CCTV.
Dramatic CCTV Footage Captures Lift Inferno
The alarming event occurred on Monday night at Amol Tower in Goregaon, a suburb of Mumbai, India. CCTV footage reveals the sequence of events that led to the dangerous explosion. First, 21-year-old student Himani Tapriya entered the lift carrying a suitcase. Moments later, delivery man Raju Kumar Mahato, aged 32, walked in with a bundle of approximately 10 to 12 gas-filled balloons he was couriering to the residential building for a birthday celebration. A third man, dressed in black, then entered the confined space.
Sudden Explosion and Miraculous Escape
Seconds after all three occupants were inside, the balloons suddenly caught fire and blew up, creating an inferno that completely engulfed the lift. Remarkably, all three individuals managed to run out of the lift before the door closed, escaping without major injury as the flames continued to rage behind them.
Himani Tapriya, who hails from Surat in the state of Gujarat, suffered burns on her right arm, neck, and stomach. She described the terrifying moment: "I had just arrived at the building from Surat and took the lift to go to my aunt's flat when a person carrying around a dozen balloons in his hand exploded, causing serious injuries to my right arm, neck and stomach."
Delivery man Raju Kumar Mahato also sustained burns in the explosion. The balloons had been ordered by building resident Arpit Jain for a family birthday celebration, turning what should have been a festive delivery into a hazardous situation.
Police Launch Negligence Investigation
Following the incident, Mumbai police have launched a negligence case against the owner of the shop that sold the balloons. Authorities accuse the shopkeeper of failing to provide proper safety instructions to the delivery person handling the potentially dangerous items.
Police confirmed: "Jaiswal has been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 125 (negligence) and has been served a notice. He did not provide safety instructions to the delivery person, which led to the incident."
Similar Balloon Incident in Uzbekistan
This alarming explosion follows another recent incident involving dangerous balloons. In Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Nozza Usmanova was surprised by friends with hydrogen-filled balloons and a cake for her birthday celebration. When a candle touched one of the balloons, it caused a huge blast that engulfed nearly the entire doorway in flames.
CCTV footage showed the birthday girl waiting by a shop entrance to receive her gifts moments before the decorations ignited. Although the fire lasted only a split second, the incident highlights the potential dangers of gas-filled balloons in celebratory settings.
These back-to-back incidents serve as a stark warning about the importance of proper safety measures when handling gas-filled balloons, particularly in confined spaces or near ignition sources. The Mumbai case continues to develop as authorities pursue their negligence investigation against the balloon shop owner.
