Two young goldsmiths suffered injuries when a gas leak triggered an explosion in their workshop, situated in a residential building on Govindappa Naicken Street in Parry’s Corner, on Sunday morning.
While Farooq Mullah (20) sustained 83 per cent burns, Sadiq Ul (15) escaped with minor injuries. They are undergoing treatment at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
The narrow Govindappa Naicken Street, located diagonally behind the Flower Bazaar police station, is dotted with multistoried commercial and residential buildings.
For the past six years, Farooq and Sadiq have been living in one such building on the street.
A few years ago, a relative of theirs opened a goldsmith’s shop on the third floor of an adjacent building and Farooq and Sadiq got involved in the business.
They would melt blocks of gold and design ornaments out of it. On Sunday morning, Farooq and Sadiq, along with two others, were melting the gold over a stovetop. “They used an LPG cylinder to light the stove,” said a police officer.
According to the police, there may have been leakage from the gas tube. The workers were unaware of it. “Around 10 a.m., a fire broke out and it spread rapidly,” said the police officer.
Khaleel, a resident of the building where the accident took place, said he was on the terrace when he heard a blast. “I rushed to the workshop. Together, we managed to douse the flames and contacted the police and the fire department. I also called the 108 ambulance service,” said Khaleel.
When there was no sign of an ambulance, Khaleel himself rushed the injured to hospital in an autorickshaw.
The police are investigating the cause of the accident. “We are trying to find if the goldsmiths had the permission to conduct their business in the building,” said a police officer.
