According to the fire brigade, the leakage of residual chemical from the empty chemical tanker (MWT 8128) caused an explosion near the Spanish Bay restaurant in Kirolpath on the Kurla-Vidya Vihar road in Vidya Vihar (west) at around 1 pm. The victim, Saudagar Karatmal, was standing nearby.

The tanker belonging to the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) had emptied its load of toluene, an organic compound, at the Parle biscuit factory in Vile Parle (east).

It was later parked opposite a Fiat showroom on the Kurla-Vidya Vihar road, when it started leaking the chemical and causing a minor explosion, injuring Karatmal.

The boy was immediately rushed to the Rajawadi hospital by the employees of the restaurant and the showroom. He is reported to be normal. ``The boy has received five per cent burns on his chest and there is no risk to his life. Thoughin a state of shock now he is expected to recover fully by morning,'' sources at Rajawadi told Express Newsline

The rear portion of the tanker had caught fire, but it was doused within minutes by the lone fire engine that was rushed to the spot.

Fire brigade sources added that the explosion could have been disastrous if the tanker was carrying its load. However, the cause of the explosion was not known since the lids on top of the tanker were found closed securely after the chemical was emptied.