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Ten cylinders explode at illegal godown, no injuries
According to the police, the illegal act of refilling small cylinders from larger ones caused the blast
At least 10 cooking gas cylinders exploded and ripped apart a temporary iron and tin shed godown in Vimannagar on Wednesday afternoon. More than 100 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders were illegally stored at the structure, officials said. No one was injured in the incident, fire brigade officials said.
According to the police, the illegal act of refilling small cylinders from larger ones caused the blast. The police have booked the plot owner, operator and another person under IPC 308, 295 and Essential Commodities Act Sections 3 and 7. No one was injured in the incident that occurred in the afternoon, fire brigade officials said.
Ranjan Kumar Sharma, additional commissioner (east), said, “We have identified the godown operators and will take them into custody soon.”
Anandrao Khobare, senior inspector and incharge, Vimantal Police Station, said, “We have booked three persons, including the land owner, in connection with the incident. The landowner has been booked as he did not verify the tenant credentials as the latter were engaged in illegal activity.”
According to the police officials, the cylinder explosion led to panic amongst the residents. Fire officer Sopan Pawar that the fire took place around 2.52 pm inside the godown located at a labour camp near a construction site behind a housing society.
“There were more than 100 cylinders illegally stocked inside the godown. Investigation is underway to find out details of those who ran the godown and who owns the land,” said Pawar.
Three fire tenders and water tankers were sent to the spot to douse the fire.
Khobare said, “The open land where cylinders were kept belongs to Deepak Deokar. A makeshift tin shed was constructed to store LPG cylinders. No one was injured in the incident.”
Following the incident, fire officials removed the remaining cylinders from the scene and sprayed water on them to contain further damage, said Devendra Potphode, the chief fire officer of Pune Municipal Corporation.
Past incidents
Blast of 20 LPG cylinders stockpiled at an illegal godown at Survey Number 45 near Sudha Mata Mandir in Anjalinagar, Katraj. Two persons were injured during the incident that took place in March 2022.
In December 2021, two persons sustained 60% burn injuries while trying to illegally refill small cylinders from a large one at Navi Sangvi area. The Sangvi police lodged an FIR under the Indian Penal Code Sections 338 (causing grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) against the duo.
The Hadapsar police in October 2023 arrested four persons, including godown owner, in Manjari on charges of negligence after six LPG cylinders blasted inside a storage facility leaving two workers with serious burn injuries.
