Pune: LPG Cylinder Blast at Hotel Near Daund Leaves 10 Workers Injured, Several Critical
Pune: LPG Cylinder Blast at Hotel Near Daund Leaves 10 Workers Injured, Several Critical
Shock and panic gripped the Daund area of Pune district on Wednesday afternoon after a powerful LPG cylinder explosion ripped through the kitchen of a roadside hotel, leaving at least ten workers injured, many of them with life-threatening burns. The incident occurred at Hotel Jagdamba, located on the Daund–Patas Ashtavinayak Road, and caused extensive damage to the structure.
According to police officials, the explosion took place between 12:30 pm and 1:40 pm inside the hotel kitchen, where only staff members were present at the time. Five workers were reportedly inside the kitchen when the cylinder exploded, triggering a sudden fire and a loud blast that was heard in the surrounding area. Fortunately, there were no customers inside the hotel when the accident occurred.
All the injured workers, who are migrants, were initially rushed to a private hospital in Daund with the help of local residents. Later, six of them, who suffered severe burns, were referred to Pune and admitted to Sassoon General Hospital (SGH). The remaining injured workers continue to receive treatment at a private medical facility.
Fire brigade officials said that the Daund police immediately alerted the fire services, following which teams from Kurkumb MIDC and Daund rushed to the spot with two fire tenders. However, by the time they arrived, the hotel owner had already managed to douse the flames.
Kiran Patil, who heads the Kurkumb MIDC fire brigade unit, said preliminary findings indicate that gas leakage from an LPG cylinder likely caused the explosion. He confirmed that ten hotel staff members were injured and shifted for medical care. During a post-incident inspection, fire officials removed around 20 LPG cylinders from the hotel kitchen, including 10 domestic and 10 commercial cylinders. Alarmingly, two of these cylinders were still found to be leaking gas.
The force of the blast was intense, blowing off metal sheets from the structure and shattering the glass windows at the front of the hotel. Police officials noted that the kitchen area suffered maximum damage due to the impact.
Doctors at Sassoon General Hospital revealed that the condition of the six critically injured patients is extremely serious. They have sustained 90 to 95 per cent burns, including deep and facial burns, and have been shifted to the burns ward for specialised treatment. The patients have been identified as Dipak (25), Kanhiyano (24), Maniram (21), Ram Prakash (24), Mohan Verma (19), along with a minor.
Dr. Yallapa Jadhav, Medical Superintendent of SGH, said the patients are in a very fragile state. He added that their chances of survival are extremely low, but the medical team is making every possible effort to stabilise them and provide the best care.
Police Inspector Gopal Pawar of Daund police station stated that an inquiry is underway to determine the exact cause of the explosion and to assess whether any negligence was involved. As of now, no formal offence has been registered, but authorities are closely examining all aspects related to the storage and handling of gas cylinders at the hotel.
