One critical among 5 hurt in Chinchwad cylinder explosion

Sharad Nagnath Pawar (26), Pramod Shahji Bhosale (26), Moreshwar Sudam Manmode (45), Basavraj Hanumant Marde (32) and Prasant Devkar (28), all residents of Walhekarwadi, Chinchwad, were injured. The police said Pawar was in a critical condition.

The explosion took place in room number B-7 on the first floor of a two-storey chawl in Walhekarwadi area of Chinchwad around 6.50 am. The impact was so severe that around 15 rooms in the building were damaged. Kiran Gawade, the fire brigade chief of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said, “We believe the gas that leaked out of a domestic LPG cylinder came in contact with fire, causing the explosion.” Another fire brigade officer said there was a crack in the pipe connecting the LPG cylinder. “Gas that leaked from this crack accumulated in the room, which did not have proper ventilation. So the accumulated gas exploded  after it came in contact with fire. There was fear and panic for sometime as residents were unaware of the reason behind the blast,” he added.

A fire brigade team rushed to the spot and vacated residents. They conducted a proper check to prevent further damage. The situation was brought under control in sometime and those injured were immediately taken to hospital. The police confirmed that even though the ATS team visited the explosion site, no terror activity was reported.