Six injured in gas explosion

PUNE: Six members of a family sustained severe burns when an explosion took place in their house following a leak in the LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder at Shaninagar area in Ambegaon Khurd at 6 am on Sunday. Three of them are reportedly in a critical condition.
The explosion created panic in the area. Many people came running out of their houses, thinking it to be an earthquake.Although the Pune Municipal Corporation fire brigade rushed to the spot, the residents had managed to douse the fire by the time they reached. The residents also shifted the victims to a nearby hospital, from where they were shifted to the Sassoon general hospital.
The police have identified the victims as Tatoba Dyandev Ilage (29), his wife Bhagyashri (25), son Sameer (5), daughter Priyanka (1), sister-in-law Ujjwala Parashuram Gawde (18), and brother-in-law Dhondiba Dyandev Chaugulkar (18). All the victims are undergoing treatment at Sassoon.
Senior inspector Satish Patil of the Haveli police station said Igale, Bhagyashri and Ujjwala were critical — with 70 per cent, 55 per cent and 60 per cent burns respectively. Chaugulkar sustained 40 per cent burns, and Priyanka and Sameer are battling 13 per cent and 38 per cent burns respectively.
"We have recovered an LPG cylinder, which remained intact despite the explosion," he said.
The intensity of the explosion was such that the ceilings made up of asbestos sheets in Ilage’s house as well as his neighbour Baban Sathe’s residence came crashing down. The wall of the houses were also damaged. Sathe’s wife Kaushalya, son Chaitanya (11) and daughter Chaitrali (5), who were fast asleep in the house at the time of the explosion, had a miraculous escape.
According to sub-divisional police officer Ravindrasinh Pardeshi, the explosion took place due to an LPG leak. "We have recorded Ilage’s statement. He said the incident took place around 6 am when he switched on a light." The ceiling came crashing down due to the impact of the explosion, which was lucky, since this released the LPG accumulated in the house into the outside air. "Otherwise, it may have caused more damage," Pardeshi added.
Patil said Ilage and Sathe live in two-room houses in a chawl in Shaninagar. The duo work as delivery boys in a gas agency.
On Saturday, Chaugulkar and Ujjwala had come to stay for the night. "The gas leak may have occurred some time in the night. When Igale switched on the light, the spark set off a fire leading to an explosion." Patil said.
Local resident, Narendra Parkhe, helped rush the victims to the hospital. Speaking to TOI, he said,
"I heard an explosion and came running out my house. I saw Igale’s house on fire and heard people screaming from inside. I broke open the window and entered. In the meantime, Igale managed to reach the door and open it."
Parkhe said that other locals immediately doused the fire with water. However, by then, the six occupants had received severe burns. "We rushed them to a nearby private hospital and informed the police as well as the fire brigade."