Revenue official, mom, bro charred to death in LPG cylinder blast

Meerut: A revenue official, his mother and brother died, and one person was injured, after a fire triggered by a suspected cylinder blast tore through a second-floor flat in Vasundhara Residency under the New Mandi Kotwali area of Muzaffarnagar at around 5.30pm on Monday. Police said Amit Gaur, 50, a kanungo (revenue clerk), his mother Sushila Devi, 68, and his younger brother Nitin Gaur, 45, were burnt alive after being trapped inside the flat when the flames spread rapidly following a series of explosions. Gaur, originally from Shamli, was living in Vasundhara Colony with his family on rent. The police are currently gathering statements from family members and neighbours as part of their inquiry.A local resident, who tried to douse the fire, suffered burn injuries. Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out suddenly, and within moments, multiple loud explosions were heard as cylinders burst, accelerating the spread of flames and leaving no escape route for the family. The blasts were so powerful that glass panes shattered and fell onto the road, triggering panic in the locality.Residents rushed out of their homes in fear and chaos gripped the area. CCTV footage surfaced later, capturing the intensity of the fire and explosions. On receiving information, police officials and fire brigade teams reached the site. Firefighters took about 30 minutes to control the blaze and recover the bodies.Muzaffarnagar (city) SP Satyanarayan Prajapati, said, "The control room received information about a fire on the second floor of a house in Phase-3 of Vasundhara Residency. Administrative and fire brigade teams reached the spot immediately and managed to control the fire within 30 minutes. Three bodies were recovered from the house. One person also sustained burn injuries during the firefighting operation."Initial findings suggested an angithi (brazier) had been lit inside the flat at the time of the incident. Police suspect the fire may have originated from the brazier, which then triggered the cylinder explosions. Officials added that the exact cause would be confirmed after a detailed forensic investigation.