Blaze in Navi Mumbai kills mother and 17-year-old daughter

A fire in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, killed a mother and her 17-year-old daughter, likely caused by an electrical fault and gas leak. Investigation ongoing.

PANVEL: A fire ripped through a residential flat in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai early on Tuesday morning, killing a 17-year-old and her mother. Fire officials suspect that an electrical fault coupled with a gas leak triggered the tragedy.

Navi Mumbai, India - Oct. 21, 2025: A major fire broke at Ambe Shraddha building ,two died at Kamothe in Navi Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

According to the police, the blaze broke out around 6 am in a second‑floor apartment at the Ambe Shraddha Cooperative Housing Society, Sector 36, jolting residents awake with a loud blast and thick smoke. Five members of the Shisodia family reside at the house where the fire erupted, and while three of them were away, 45‑year‑old Rekha Shisodia and her daughter were trapped in their bedroom. Firefighters later found both lying lifeless on the bed, charred beyond recognition.

The Panvel Municipal Corporation fire brigade received the distress call at 6:02 am and dispatched engines immediately. Residents of the society were soon evacuated as teams battled the flames and prevented the blaze from spreading further.

Praveen Bodake, the state City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO’s) chief fire officer, said preliminary findings point to an electrical fault that triggered the tragedy. “Based on the condition of the site, it appears the fire started at least 45 minutes before the cylinder blast,” he said. “Cylinders usually explode only after being exposed to heat for a prolonged period.” Bodake confirmed that one LPG cylinder had exploded inside the flat, while two others remained intact, and added that an LPG cylinder leak led to the explosion. The force of the blast was strong enough to cause partial damage to the apartment above, said Bodake.

Both mother and daughter were found dead on their bed, possibly having inhaled smoke and fallen unconscious before getting burnt.” Neighbours were shocked at their sudden demise and described the duo as active members of the community. Police and fire officials have launched a probe into the exact cause of the suspected short circuit that set off the blaze.