The IIT Bombay hostel fire broke out on Thursday night after gas leaking from a cylinder pipe triggered a flare-up at Hostel No. 6 on the institute’s Powai campus. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s disaster management cell, the incident was reported at around 10:24 pm on October 8. Five people, including two children aged 9 and 12, were injured in the blaze.
The injured were identified as Ansh Ahirwar (12), Tahjib Aalam (9), Ishwar Singh (37), Shivkumar Singh (34) and Anilkumar Yadav (23). They were first taken to the BMC-run Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar; four were subsequently shifted to Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli, while one remained admitted at Rajawadi. Hospital authorities said all five are in stable condition. A civic official said “it is possible that there was a leakage from the cylinder, which triggered a fire,” though the exact circumstances and the nature of the injuries were not immediately disclosed.
IIT Bombay Hostel Fire: Second Gas Leak in Mumbai the Same Day
The IIT Bombay incident was the second reported gas leak in Mumbai on Thursday. Earlier in the day, a massive fire broke out at a ground-plus-one-storey labour camp on Navghar Road in Mulund East after a gas leak, triggering explosions in which seven gas cylinders went off. Police personnel and BMC ward staff were mobilised at the IIT campus following the night incident. For students tracking the other big education story of the week, read our NEET-UG 2026 paper-leak panel coverage.
Why Campus Gas Safety Needs Urgent Attention
Hostels and residential facilities run large shared kitchens on LPG cylinders, often maintained by contractors with patchy oversight — and a single leaking pipe can turn a kitchen into a fireball, as Thursday showed twice in one city. The presence of two children among the injured underlines that hostel-adjacent residential blocks house families, not just students. Until the BMC or the institute publishes findings, the practical takeaway stands: periodic leak checks, certified piping and working fire extinguishers in hostel kitchens are non-negotiable. The episode adds to a packed news week also covered in our bypoll results roundup. Source: The Hindu and Indian Express.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was injured in the fire?
Ansh Ahirwar (12), Tahjib Aalam (9), Ishwar Singh (37), Shivkumar Singh (34) and Anilkumar Yadav (23). All five are reported to be in stable condition.
Where were the injured treated?
They were first taken to BMC-run Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar; four were later shifted to Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli, while one remained at Rajawadi.
What caused the gas leak?
A civic official said a leakage from the cylinder pipe possibly triggered the fire. The exact circumstances leading to the leak have not been officially disclosed yet.
Was this the only gas leak incident in Mumbai that day?
No. Earlier on October 8, a massive fire broke out at a labour camp on Navghar Road in Mulund East after a gas leak, with seven gas cylinders exploding.
