Leaking LPG cylinder causes fire in eatery, four suffer burns

Three employees and a customer suffered burn injuries in an accidental fire at an eatery in Kamakshipalya, West Bengaluru, on Saturday, police said.

The fire at Sri Vinayaka Hotel was caused by a leaking LPG cylinder around 11.30 am. The gas leaked apparently because the regulator of the cylinder was not fixed properly. One of the employees noticed the gas smell and tried to close the regulator. But the gas soon reached a wood stove burning next to the cylinder, resulting in an inferno which spread to the hotel in no time.

Three employees — Gayathri, 52, Rajanna, 56, and Bhaskar, 29 — suffered burns while trying to douse the fire. Gangaraju, 55, a customer, was also wounded when he tried to help in the firefighting.

All of them are being treated in the burns ward at Victoria Hospital and are stated to be stable.

An officer from Kamakshipalya police said they would question the injured people once they recovered about the cause of the fire.