Mumbai, November 10: A 16-year-old boy was killed after a fire tore through a firecracker shop in the Malvani area of Malad West late on Monday night, triggering an explosion that collapsed the shop's slab, officials said, according to PTI.

The blaze began at approximately 9:56 pm at a ground-floor shop near Gate No. 8 on Abdul Hamid Marg in Malad West. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's Mumbai Fire Brigade, the fire was confined to firecrackers, electrical wiring and electrical installations inside the premises, which measured roughly 20 feet by 30 feet, before stored firecrackers exploded and brought the slab down.

The teenager was initially reported missing in the immediate aftermath of the collapse. During the search of the debris, authorities found him inside the shop with 100 per cent burns. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he was declared brought dead. In line with child-safety practice, Awaaz Punjab is not naming the minor victim.

The fire was extinguished at 10:36 pm, according to the fire brigade's incident update issued at 1:22 am on Tuesday. Fire brigade, police, ambulance services and municipal ward staff responded to the scene, Mirror Now reported.

The cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation, and officials are assessing the site and the circumstances in which the firecrackers were stored. The incident came during a Diwali period in which Mumbai's fire department recorded 142 fire incidents in the city, most of them linked to firecrackers, according to reports.