The fire was caused by the explosion of a kerosene stove, and it claimed the lives of Akhilesh Rai and Arun Rai, who worked in the milk centre located on the ground floor of Triveni Southern building at Madhav Palav Marg. Both Akhilesh and Arun were relatives of the building's owner Gopal Rai and had migrated from Uttar Pradesh.

Inspector Sayed Isamuddin from Kala Chowky police station said both died immediately. The fire brigade was later called in, and the fire was doused in naerly fifteen minutes.

The bodies were taken to KEM Hospital and later to JJ Hospital for post-mortem. Police are conducting an enquiry into the case. It is suspected that a leakage in the stove caused the explosion.

In a similar accident, fire ravaged the Essar office on the fourth floor of Express Building on A-Road, Churchgate, today. The fire broke out at around one in the morning, andby the time the fire brigade reached the spot, the entire office had been gutted. A short circuit apparently caused the fire. The extent of damage has not yet been assessed.