A gas cylinder exploded in a building at Nanakramguda area early on Tuesday morning, injuring at least 11 persons.
According to sources, the explosion happened around 5 a.m. The Fire Department was informed of the incident around 5.10 a.m. after which they, and Gachibowli police, rushed to the spot. While no fire was reported, a fire tender from the Gachibowli Fire Station was pressed into service.
According to Gachibowli sub-inspector Naveen Reddy, four persons were admitted to Osmania General Hospital, another injured person was taken to the Government Area Hospital in Kondapur and four were rushed to a private hospital in Kondapur.
The sources said that the explosion happened in a three-storey building where approximately 50 workers, most of them from Bihar, were residing. They said that each floor has two rooms, with between six and 10 people living, and a bathroom.
According to officials, the gas cylinder which exploded was a commercial cylinder. Investigation is under way to determine why a commercial gas cylinder was in use in a place which was used as residential quarters.
District Fire Officer, Ranga Reddy, S. Sreedhar Reddy, who reached the spot said, “It appears that Bihari labourers forgot to turn off the regulator at night. By morning, the gas leaked into the whole premises. An inmate could have turned on a fan or light, and this could have triggered the cylinder blast. There were two commercial cylinders. We were able to arrest leakage from one cylinder. The other cylinder was kept idle there and had no leakage.”
