5 die as LPG cylinder explodes on boat

Sushil Kumar, a fire officer in the area, confirmed the death of five persons and said the fifth body was yet to be identified. “It appears the explosion took place due to leakage from the LPG cylinder when one of the labourers was cooking food on the motor boat, close to the diesel container,” he said.

Five people were killed and several others were injured when an LPG cylinder exploded on a motor boat carrying sand and around 20 labourers in Sone River in Patna on Saturday, police said.

The boat after the LPG cylinder explosion. (Santosh Kumar)

The incident occurred near Rampur-Patila ghat falling under Maner police station of rural Patna.

Four of those charred to death were identified as Ranjan Paswan (32), Dasrath Paswan (32, Kanhai Bind (40) and Om Prakash Rai (34).

Rampur ghat is known as a mini port, where hundreds of boats, mostly used for transportation of illegally mined sand, can be seen stationed.

Sushil Kumar, a fire officer in the area, confirmed the death of five persons and said the fifth body was yet to be identified. “It appears the explosion took place due to leakage from the LPG cylinder when one of the labourers was cooking food on the motor boat, close to the diesel container,” he said.

The boat, which was on way to Saran from Vaishali, did not drown because sailors managed to bring it to the banks, eye-witnesses said.