Bengaluru: 1 killed, 3 injured as LPG blast brings down building

Bengaluru: A big cylinder blast, triggered by an LPG leak at a private gas refilling agency, brought down a two-storeyed building, claiming one life and injuring three others in the Kadugodi police limits on Sunday morning.

The impact of the blast was such that the building, which was ground-plus two floors at Bapuji Circle, crumbled within minutes, creating panic among neighbours. 

While a 22-year-old worker of the gas agency, Syed Afsar, died of injuries, another worker Saleem, who hails from West Bengal, Sultana (25) and her three-year-old son Syed Zain who lived on the first floor of the building sustained serious injuries and are being treated at a private hospital. 

The blast occurred around 10 am at BAK Gas Distributors, which was on the ground floor of the building. “Prima facie, there was a gas leak during the refilling of cylinders at the agency. A spark triggered a fire that eventually led to the cylinder blast,” the police said. 

There was also a cycle shop next to the gas agency and both were run by the building owner Khalid and his partner Parvez. The police suspect that Afsar was refilling the cylinder and sustained severe head injuries in the explosion. 

Fire and Emergency, NDRF and police personnel rushed to the spot and shifted Afsar to a hospital where he died of injuries. The team managed to rescue Sultana and her son, who had sustained critical injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. 

"There was a lot of debris and we were told that another worker of the agency was trapped inside. We intensified our rescue operation and pulled him out alive and rushed him to a private hospital where he is being treated. Luckily, no one else was injured in the incident," the police said. 

The police have arrested Parvez, the licence holder of the gas agency. 

A case has been registered against Khalid and Parvez under Sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 337 (causing hurt by endangering the life or personal safety of others) and also under various sections of Liquid Petroleum (regulation ) Act at the Kadugodi police station.