11 injured in LPG cylinder blast in West Champaran

Bettiah: At least 11 people, including two minor girls, were seriously injured after a small LPG cylinder exploded at a roadside meat vendor’s cart in Lauria police station area of West Champaran district on Friday.The incident took place at Hanuman Chowk, a busy locality, where a small cooking gas cylinder kept on the meat cart suddenly exploded, triggering panic among bystanders. Several people sustained burn injuries.The injured have been identified as Govind Rai, Vinay Kumar Shukla, Gulab Patel, Premnath Kumar, Amarjeet Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Krishna Thakur, Bhool Devi, Baby Kumari, Sita Devi and another six-year-old girl.Local residents rushed the injured to Lauria community health centre, where they were administered first aid. All injured victims were later referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bettiah, for advanced treatment.Medical officer Dr Raushan Kumar at Lauria CHC said, “Two women and three men were in critical condition. After providing first aid, all the injured were referred to the district hospital, Bettiah, for better medical care,” he said.Meanwhile, Lauria circle officer Nitesh Kumar Seth issued an advisory to local traders, directing them to use only commercial LPG cylinders at business establishments and to strictly follow safety norms to prevent such incidents in the future.