What started as a routine elevator ride for a small group of people in a building in Mumbai quickly turned into a terrifying incident, CCTV footage revealed.
The video shows a woman in a white shirt entering the elevator first, pulling a small suitcase on a trolley. She pressed the button for her target floor. Moments later, a man carrying more than a dozen balloons stuffed into a large polythene bag tried to get inside. The woman noticed his struggle and stepped back to make room for him.
As the balloon salesman moved in and appeared to be standing in the corner, another man in a black shirt attempted to enter the elevator. At that moment, the balloons suddenly burst into a massive fireball inside the confined space.
The flames engulfed the camera’s view for a brief moment, obscuring the three individuals. Seconds later, everyone saw them hurtling out of the elevator, with the man carrying the balloons losing his footing and falling to the floor.
According to an NDTV report, a man and a woman suffered burns and confirmed that a case has been registered against the balloon seller. Authorities added that it remains unclear what type of gas was used to inflate the balloons.
While helium balloons are not flammable, the less common hydrogen-filled balloons are extremely flammable.
Meanwhile, in November last year, hydrogen balloons intended for the couple’s Haldi celebration grand entrance exploded, leaving the bride and groom with burns. The video of the incident went massively viral.
In a viral clip at the time, the couple were seen making their entrance with hydrogen balloons when one of the colorful guns used during the celebration was accidentally pointed upwards. The heat caused a reaction with the balloons, causing them to pop in a small explosion.
“We never imagined the most special day of our lives would take such a drastic turn,” the couple wrote, explaining that what was supposed to be a “fun, trendy entrance to Haldi” left them “scarred — literally and emotionally.”
“We are sharing this reel to create awareness of how dangerous these ‘viral thoughts’ can turn when security is compromised,” they added.
