Gandhi Nagar residents were left panic-stricken on Monday after back-to-back explosions of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders kept on the roof of a house triggered panic on Street No 7. No casualty was reported in the incident.
Firefighters said while two of the cylinders kept on the roof exploded, flames arising from a third cylinder were doused. Area residents, meanwhile, claimed that they heard three explosions.
The explosions caused heavy damage to the roof of the house. The iron shed being used to store the cylinders, a plastic water tank and other items kept on the roof were left charred after the incident. The exact cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet.
Area resident Suresh Kumar, and five families consisting of workers, had rented out the house consisting of three floors.
While Jatinder Kumar, another resident, said the incident took place at around 2 pm. LPG leakage filled the area and a blaze was witnessed rising from the rooftop. The cylinders kept on the rooftop soon began to explode.
Anju Sharma, who also lives in the area, said the explosions triggered panic and people began to run around in search of safety. “Women and children living on the ground floor and in the nearby house were rushed to safety. Smoke could be seen even from a distance,”she added.
{{/usCountry}}Anju Sharma, who also lives in the area, said the explosions triggered panic and people began to run around in search of safety. “Women and children living on the ground floor and in the nearby house were rushed to safety. Smoke could be seen even from a distance,”she added.
{{/usCountry}}The fire brigade, however, arrived at the spot within minutes of the incident. A firefighter said one fire tender was pressed into service to douse the flames, adding that they found the remnants of two exploded cylinders, while fire on the third cylinder was doused. They carried another cylinder kept on the roof away from the spot.
Gurjit Singh, station head officer at Division No 4, said prima facie investigation did not suggest foul play behind the fire. He added the fire could have been caused by a leakage or with the occupants forgetting to turn off the regulator.
The house belongs to Madan Lal, who runs a paint business. Police are also looking into the number of occupants in the building and whether tenant verification was carried out before the rooms were rented out. Besides, police are also probing the reason behind multiple cylinders being kept on the roof.
“Currently we are ensuring the safety of the residents following the incident. We have called the owner of the house to join the investigation,” the SHO added.