Two children among seven injured in LPG cylinder explosion

An exploding LPG cylinder at a two-storey building in West Bengaluru’s Attiguppe left seven of its occupants injured on Monday evening.

Police said the building belongs to 65-year-old Ramakka who lived on the first floor with Anitha, 31, and Rachana, 21. The ground floor had been taken for rent by the family of 48-year-old Sukumar, who lived with Harsha, 41, and their children Ganashri, 13, and Hemeshwar, 7.

Police said Harsha went to cook at 8.45 pm and smelt the leaking LPG cylinder. She alerted her family members who rushed out and stood near the entrance door. The commotion brought out Ramakka and her family from upstairs.

A lit lamp triggered a fire that ultimately resulted in the explosion of the LPG cylinder. All the seven sustained injuries to their face, head, hands and legs. They were rushed to ESI and Victoria hospitals for treatment.

Darshan, who lives across from Ramakka’s building, alerted fire and emergency officials. Later, he joined with other locals to douse the flames before fire tenders could arrive at the scene.

Chandra Layout police have taken up a case as it is the second LGP cylinder blast to be reported from the area on Monday.

Another fire in same area

A 32-year-old man was severely burnt in a suspected fire accident from an LPG gas leakage at a ground floor eatery in a multi-floor building near Ganapathi Circle in Chandra Layout.

Fire and emergency officials received a call about the accident at 9.04 am on Monday. The caller informed them that there had been an LPG cylinder blast in ‘Santhrupthi Uttara Karnataka Javari Ootada Mane’ hotel. The building also has paying guest accommodation.

On reaching the spot, the officials found that residents had doused the fire. An officer said an LPG cylinder was connected to the stove and appeared intact, besides two other unconnected cylinders that were also found undisturbed.

A mixer grinder, and plastic and steel utensils, besides other items were found damaged. The fire at the hotel’s kitchen had been put off, stopping it from engulfing the building and neighbouring structures.

The hotel had been locked after working hours on Sunday night. The victim, Mahesh, had come in the morning to cook. “We suspect the fire happened due to gas leakage and a short circuit when Mahesh turned on the fire,” he said, adding that Mahesh is undergoing treatment at the burns ward of Victoria Hospital.

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