A late-night lift accident involving gas-filled balloons left a 21-year-old student with burn injuries at a residential building in Goregaon (West), prompting the police to register a negligence case against a balloon shop owner, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred around 10.30 pm on Monday at Amol Tower, when a delivery executive carrying multiple gas-filled balloons entered the building’s lift. Moments later, the balloons suddenly exploded, injuring the student, identified as Himani Tapriya, as well as the delivery worker himself.
Tapriya sustained burns to her right arm, neck, and stomach, while the delivery man, Raju Kumar Mahato (32), also suffered burn injuries. Both were rushed for medical treatment, and police said Tapriya is now out of danger.
According to investigators, Mahato had been sent by the owner of a balloon shop, T K Jaiswal, to deliver the balloons for a birthday celebration at the building. The order had been placed by a resident, Arpit Jain, for a family event. Mahato was reportedly carrying 10 to 12 gas-filled balloons when he stepped into the lift, along with Tapriya and another individual.
In her police complaint, Tapriya said she had just arrived in Mumbai from Surat to visit her aunt and entered the lift to go to her relative’s flat. “A person carrying a bunch of balloons entered the lift. Within seconds, the balloons exploded in his hands, and I suffered serious burn injuries,” she stated.
The Goregaon police have booked Jaiswal under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to negligence. An official said the shop owner failed to provide proper safety instructions or protective equipment to the delivery worker, leading to the accident. A legal notice has been issued to Jaiswal, and further inquiry is underway.
While authorities have not officially confirmed the type of gas used, some reports have suggested that the balloons may have been filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas, raising concerns over unsafe balloon-filling practices.
The incident has renewed attention on similar accidents. Last month, five people were injured in Malegaon when a gas cylinder used for inflating balloons exploded near a Republic Day function. In that case, balloon sellers were using a modified cylinder when the blast occurred, causing severe burn injuries to people nearby.
Police said investigations are ongoing to determine safety violations and prevent such incidents in the future.
The incident occurred around 10.30 pm on Monday at Amol Tower, when a delivery executive carrying multiple gas-filled balloons entered the building’s lift. Moments later, the balloons suddenly exploded, injuring the student, identified as Himani Tapriya, as well as the delivery worker himself.
Tapriya sustained burns to her right arm, neck, and stomach, while the delivery man, Raju Kumar Mahato (32), also suffered burn injuries. Both were rushed for medical treatment, and police said Tapriya is now out of danger.
According to investigators, Mahato had been sent by the owner of a balloon shop, T K Jaiswal, to deliver the balloons for a birthday celebration at the building. The order had been placed by a resident, Arpit Jain, for a family event. Mahato was reportedly carrying 10 to 12 gas-filled balloons when he stepped into the lift, along with Tapriya and another individual.
In her police complaint, Tapriya said she had just arrived in Mumbai from Surat to visit her aunt and entered the lift to go to her relative’s flat. “A person carrying a bunch of balloons entered the lift. Within seconds, the balloons exploded in his hands, and I suffered serious burn injuries,” she stated.
The Goregaon police have booked Jaiswal under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to negligence. An official said the shop owner failed to provide proper safety instructions or protective equipment to the delivery worker, leading to the accident. A legal notice has been issued to Jaiswal, and further inquiry is underway.
While authorities have not officially confirmed the type of gas used, some reports have suggested that the balloons may have been filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas, raising concerns over unsafe balloon-filling practices.
The incident has renewed attention on similar accidents. Last month, five people were injured in Malegaon when a gas cylinder used for inflating balloons exploded near a Republic Day function. In that case, balloon sellers were using a modified cylinder when the blast occurred, causing severe burn injuries to people nearby.
Police said investigations are ongoing to determine safety violations and prevent such incidents in the future.