Ghaziabad: 50 LPG cylinders explode as truck catches fire

It took eight fire tenders about one-and-a-half hours to control the blaze and the cylinder blasts could be heard several kilometres away, officials said

A massive fire erupted at Bhopra Chowk in Loni early Saturday after a truck carrying over 150 LPG cylinders caught fire, leading to a massive explosion around 4.30am, police said.

The fire department said it received an alert about the incident around 4.35am and several fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the raging fire. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

It took eight fire tenders about one-and-a-half hours to control the blaze and the cylinder blasts could be heard several kilometres away, officials said.

The fire department said it received an alert about the incident around 4.35am and several fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the raging fire.

“The truck was carrying more than 150 LPG cylinders belonging to an oil firm, and prima facie, we believe the fire started due to a leakage in one of the cylinders and the gas got ignited due to friction. The truck was parked on roadside at that time. Several shops and vehicles in the vicinity also suffered damages. But no fatalities or injuries were reported. There were huge blasts, and about 50 cylinders exploded. The personnel controlled the fire in about one-and-a-half hours,” said Rahul Pal, chief fire officer.

Residents said they were startled to see the truck on fire and cylinders exploding one after the other.

“It almost seemed like a war zone. My furniture workshop and godown, spread over about 600 yards, was gutted. All the material and finished furniture were damaged. I believe I have suffered a loss of around ₹15 lakh. The truck belongs to a local who parks it on the roadside at night. It caught fire somehow,” said Pawan Gupta, a local.

Vinod Kasana, a resident, said that pieces of cylinders landed on roads outside nearby houses, and loud blasts could be heard up to several kilometres.

“We do not know about the reasons. But it could be due to leakage of probably a spark in a high-tension electricity cable, which caused the fire. The truck was parked below it. My three cars and a two-wheeler suffered damages due to fire,” Kasana added.

The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Loni Border police station area.

“We haven’t received any complaint from residents so far. No casualty was reported. The fire department arrived and controlled the fire. The truck was laden with about 150-160 LPG cylinders. We will investigate the reasons behind the incident,” said Saloni Agarwal, assistant commissioner of police, Shalimar Garden circle.