Pune gas cylinder blasts: police look for 4 suspects who were ‘illegally’ refilling cylinders

Ganesh Jawadwad, in charge of Wakad police station, said, “We have booked four persons in the illegal business of filling propylene from tanker to small cylinders. A search has been launched for them”.

In the offence registered against four people, the police have invoked Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 379 (theft), 407 (criminal breach of trust by carrier), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 427 (damage to property), and relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act and the Explosives Act.

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“We are looking for the people who were involved in this filling business. We have reasons to believe that the gas filling was being done illegally and the people involved may have fled the spot after the blasts,” said a second police officer.

The fire brigade and emergency response services received information of at least four major blasts of gas cylinders in the Tathawade area around 11.05 pm on Sunday. The subsequent probe showed that as many as nine blasts were reported. The impact of the blast was such that many residents in the area rushed out of their houses and residential complexes.

The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes after fire tenders reached the spot. Subsequently, a cooling operation was conducted by spraying water to avert any secondary fires.

Pimpri Chinchwad Fire Brigade officer Rushikant Chipade said, “We believe that the propylene gas from a 21-tonne capacity tanker was being illegally filled into 14.2 kg capacity cylinders. A leakage during this job may have started the fire. The people involved in this work are believed to have fled as the fire started. No person dead or injured has been found.”

Chipade added, “We found nine exploded cylinders, 10 filled and not leaking and eight filled and leaking propylene from the spot. Fortunately, no damage has been reported to the tanker.”

Propylene, also known as propene, is a flammable hydrocarbon gas used extensively industrially.