Hyderabad, November 28: An LPG cylinder explosion at Venkateswara Nagar in Jagadgirigutta left one person dead and seven others injured early this morning.
The blast occurred around 4.30 am in the single-room portion of Raju, a carpenter, when a member of the family switched on the light igniting the gas that had filled the room.
Kukatpally police said 40-year-old Kusuma, wife of Raju, who was injured in the blast, died while undergoing treatment at the ESI hospital. Her sister Padma, with 80 per cent burns, is in a critical condition. Among the other injured Raju, Padma’s six-year-old twin daughters – Shriya and Priya – suffered grievous burn injuries but they were declared out of danger.
Five of the injured belonged to Raju’s family while the other three were residents of the adjacent portion in the house that had three single-room portions. The house was ripped apart and the walls between the rooms collapsed under the impact of the blast. The rubble from the roof also fell on the the inmates and caused injuries.
According to locals, Raju’s family performed Satyanarayana Vratham in their house the previous day. Among the injured were the relatives who stayed back for the night after the function.
“It is suspected that they forgot to switch off the regulator of the cylinder leading to gas leak. By morning gas filled the poorly-ventilated room and when the light was switched on it triggered the blast,” police said.
The sound of the blast, which was heard till a kilometre away, jolted the locals who were asleep. Panic and confusion reigned in the locality for a while till the matter became clear.
–Agencies–