At least eight persons were injured when a gas cylinder exploded in a tenement on Gazdar Road in Bandra west here on Saturday, the BMC Disaster Control said on Saturday.

The disaster struck in a ground-plus-one structure when a cooking gas stove suddenly exploded with a deafening sound around 6.15 a.m. and the tenement caught fire.

The flames quickly devoured the electrical wiring, fittings and installations, clothes and other articles even as the Mumbai Fire Brigade rushed to the spot.

After battling the blaze for nearly half an hour, the fire brigade managed to snuff it out and the victims who suffered burns of between 25-40 per cent and other minor injuries, were rushed to the BMC's Bhabha Hospital.

They are identified as Nikhil J. Das, 53, Rakesh R. Sharma, 38, Anthony P. Thengal, 65, Kalicharan M. Kanojiya, 54 and Shaanali Z. Siddiqui, 31, Shamsher 50, Sangita 32 and Seeta, 45.

In a medical update, the BMC said that the condition of all the victims is stable, while Seeta with minor injuries refused to be admitted to the hospital, and the cause of the cylinder blast is being probed.IANS/VB