Seven people, including two firefighters, have been injured in a gas cylinder explosion after a fire at a shop in Maharashtra's Thane city, a civic official said on Sunday. The fire broke out around 11 pm on Saturday at the auto spare parts shop in Wagle Estate area and spread to two houses located nearby, Thane civic body's regional disaster management cell (RDMC) chief Santosh Kadam said.

Two fire engines, as many rescue vehicles and a team of the RDMC rushed to the spot. While the fire personnel were trying to douse the flames, a gas cylinder exploded in the premises, injuring seven people, including two firemen, a driver of a quick response vehicle and four local residents, the official said.

The injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital where they are undergoing treatment, he said. The shop was completely gutted in the fire and the two houses also suffered damages, the official said.

The fire was extinguished by around 2.30 am on Sunday, he said, adding that the cause of blaze was still not known.