MUMBAI, Sept. 25 -- Raksha Joshi, 52, was making theplas at the Shivani Caterers kitchen when a sudden explosion sent the entire workshop up in flames. Raksha sustained over 90% burns and is currently in critical condition at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli. At around 9.30 am, Raksha's 19-year-old son Heet was startled out of his sleep with a frantic call from his mother. "I am completely burned. Please come help me. I am in great pain," she sobbed. "I immediately went to her. It was so sudden, and that call from her was very scary," Heet told HT. By the time he reached, all the injured had already been rushed to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. Heet, Raksha's daughter, and other family members reached Shatabdi within half an hour only to find Raksha in the general ward. The doctors told them there was no ICU bed available and directed them to write a note, requesting a transfer to Kasturba Hospital, which has a dedicated burns ward. The ordeal worsened when no ambulance was available or provided by the hospital. "They said ambulances were not available," said Heet. "The ward boy then called private ambulance services, which all asked for around Rs 8,000. Finally, we called someone we knew, who got us an ambulance for Rs 4,500 and we left Shatabdi at around 10:30 to 11 am. It took us an hour and a half to reach Kasturba Hospital due to the traffic. The whole experience and not getting any support at Shatabdi Hospital was extremely traumatic." By 12.30pm, Raksha was admitted to Kasturba's burns ward where the doctors immediately began treatment. "She has sustained around 90% burns and is in critical condition," said the medical officer on duty. We can't say at this juncture how she will fare; it all depends on how she responds to treatment." When questioned, the medical superintendent at Shatabdi Hospital, requesting anonymity, said, "Raksha Joshi's family members themselves decided to take her to Kasturba Hospital in a private ambulance. They did not even collect their papers. We provided preliminary treatment and had already made arrangements at Kasturba hospital for their treatment." Four other victims were initially admitted to ESIC Hospital in Kandivali but later shifted to Airoli's National Burns Centre (NBC) as their burn injuries were severe. Among them was Shivani Gandhi, 51, owner of the catering service, who sustained over 95% burns. Doctors said her chances of survival were slim. Two other victims, Nitu Gupta (31), and Janaki Gupta (39), who sustained 80% to 85% burns are on ventilator support along with Shivani. Nitu was scheduled for surgery on Wednesday afternoon. "The three women on the ventilator are critical but stable. They have severe lung damage. We will have to try our best to save their lives," said Dr SM Keswani, director of the centre. "One patient, Manaram Kumacat, has sustained 40% burns and is expected to make a full recovery." Two women, Durga Gupta, 30, and Poonam Gautam, 28, were admitted to AUM Hospital, Borivali, with 85 to 90% burns. "I have just dropped all my work and rushed to the hospital," said Manoj Gautam, Poonam's husband. "She has been working at the place for nearly two years; it was all going fine till this happened." Durga, who worked in the catering service kitchen for five years, has very young children. "We lead a hand-to-mouth existence," said her sister Pinki Gupta. "She has been in the ICU for over three hours, and we don't know what is going to happen. We got one glimpse of her, and her body had turned black and her clothes were stuck to her skin."...