Fast food vehicle catches fire in gas cylinder explosion; none hurt

Thane, June 10 (PTI) A makeshift vehicle used for selling fast food gutted in a fire triggered by a cooking gas cylinder explosion near Airoli railway station in Thane on Tuesday night, an official said, adding that nobody was injured.

The explosion occurred around 8:30 PM, reducing the vehicle to a charred shell within moments.

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud bang, followed by flames engulfing the vehicle. The intensity of the blast was such that the gas cylinder was blown apart, with its fragments scattered across the area.

"There was an explosion in the gas cylinder kept in the makeshift vehicle serving as a Chinese food stall. The fire spread instantly, gutting the vehicle," said a senior official from the Navi Mumbai Fire Brigade.

The blaze was controlled before it could spread to nearby vehicles or structures.

The explosion led to a temporary halt in traffic along the busy Thane-Belapur highway, causing a significant jam for nearly 30 minutes.

The cause of the cylinder explosion is under investigation, officials said. PTI COR NSK