Guj: Nine dead in LPG cylinder explosion

At least nine persons, including four children, have died after suffering grievous injuries in the explosion of an LPG cylinder and resultant fire in a room on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, police said on Saturday.The deceased belonged to Madhya Pradesh, a senior officer said.The incident occurred on the night of July 20.

At least nine persons, including four children, have died after suffering grievous injuries in the explosion of an LPG cylinder and resultant fire in a room on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, police said on Saturday.

The deceased belonged to Madhya Pradesh, a senior officer said.

The incident occurred on the night of July 20. While eight victims - labourers and their family members - died in the last couple of days during treatment, another one succumbed to injuries on Saturday morning, he said. ''Leakage of gas from an LPG cylinder had triggered explosion and fire, in which 10 persons, including children and women, suffered severe burn injuries. The incident has claimed the lives of nine of them so far. They were undergoing treatment at the civil hospital,'' inspector P R Jadeja of Aslali police station said.

The labourers and their family members were sleeping in the small room when the gas from their cylinder started leaking. When their neighbour knocked on their door to alert them about the leakage, one of the labourers got up and switched on the light, which triggered a spark and led to the explosion due to the concentration of gas, another police official said.

The 10 injured persons, including the neighbour who had come to alert them, were then rushed to the civil hospital for treatment, he said.

Three persons died during treatment on Thursday, five others on Friday and one more on Saturday morning.

The deceased were identified as Rampyari Ahirwar (56), Rajubhai Ahirwar (31), Sonu Ahirwar (21), Seema Ahirwar (25), Sarju Ahirwar (22), Vaishali (7), Nitesh (6), Payal (4), and Akash (2), all natives of Guna district in Madhya Pradesh, the inspector added.

''One injured person, identified as Kulsinh Bhairwa (30), is undergoing treatment and his condition is said to be critical,'' Jadeja said, adding Bhairwa hails from Kudgaon in Karauli in Rajasthan.

Jadeja said the bodies of the six deceased were sent to their native village in Madhya Pradesh in ambulances. Three bodies had been sent earlier, he added. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed grief over the death of the nine persons in Ahmedabad who belonged to Madhusudangarh in Guna district, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.

The MP government announced financial assistance of Rs four lakh each to the next kin of the deceased. ''Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed deep condolences on the death of seven workers of Madhusudangarh (MP's Guna district) due to gas leak in Ahmedabad. Chouhan has directed a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to the injured besides free treatment to them,'' the CMO said.

Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai C Patel also expressed grief over the death of workers.

Praying for the departed souls and for strength to the bereaved families, Patel wished a speedy recovery to the injured, the governor's office said.