6 minors among 13 injured in LPG blast in Bengaluru

The incident occurred on the second floor of a three-storey building in Mariyappanapalya. Credit: Special arrangement

Thirteen people, six of them minors, were injured in an accidental fire that broke out due to a leaking LPG cylinder at a house in northern Bengaluru’s Rajajinagar early Friday, police said.

A 60-year-old injured woman is critical. All are undergoing treatment at Victoria Hospital.

Police said that the fire broke out due to the leakage of LPG from a cylinder in a house on the second floor of a three-storey building in Mariyappanapalya.

Ajmal, 46, who owns a meat stall, stays with his wife Nazima, 42, and four children in the house. His relatives had come to his house on Thursday as there was a function on Friday.

The family members and relatives prepared food till late Thursday night and went to sleep. They did not properly turn off the LPG cylinder and stove. So there was leakage of gas in the house. The incident happened around 6.30 am as one of the injured, Najima, woke up and turned on a light switch on the switchboard.

Fireball explosion

It was a fireball blast while the cylinder was intact. Many people sustained injuries because one of the walls of the house collapsed due to the impact of the blast.

Balaji, a student in the neighbourhood, heard the blast sound around 6.30 am. He came out to see fire on the second floor of the building.

He alerted the fire and emergency services and police. The fire doused on its own before the Fire and Emergency officials reached the spot.

A few other injured people were identified as Saba, 18, Mehrin Taj, 11, Zohaib, Azaan and Adnan, all three aged five, Riyan, 14 and others.

Due to the wall collapse and the debris falling on the staircase, the injured persons and other residents were not able to come down. Local residents from the neighbourhood cleared the debris and brought them out of the house.

Rajajinagar police have taken up a case.