BAREILLY: Celebrations by family and friends of village head Ram Niwas on the eve of his daughter's wedding turned into mourning when four women, including the bride's 60-year-old grandmother, died and six others suffered burn injuries following an LPG cylinder blast on Saturday night.
Soon after the incident, a portion of the house caught fire causing extensive damage to more than half of the place, locals said.
According to family members, several women of the village were preparing food for the occasion when one of the cylinders accidentally caught fire due to a "gas leak" and exploded, killing three women on the spot. The fourth woman, with severe burn injuries, succumbed at a hospital in Farrukhabad district. The incident took place at Vikrampur village under Kalaan police limits in Shahjahanpur district. Besides the village head's mother, Munni Devi, the three other dead were identified as Neelam Devi (45), Ganga Devi (40) and Kumari Vandana (18).
Circle officer Mata Singh said, "The reason behind the incident is being investigated. The condition of the survivors is stable. Their statements will be recorded once they recover." The marriage was later solemnised at a temple on Sunday.