An LPG cylinder blast at a rented house in Khallikote, Odisha’s Ganjam district, injured three members of a family on Thursday, with police suspecting a cooking gas leak after a bomb-disposal team found no explosive substances at the site.
The injured were identified as 60-year-old Kapil Moharana, his 55-year-old wife Mira and their 30-year-old son Bikash. They were initially taken to Khallikote hospital and later referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. Kapil and Bikash were in critical condition, according to sources cited in the report.
The blast damaged the house extensively, blowing off iron grills, damaging the building walls and destroying or damaging several household articles. Another son of the family, who was in a different room at the time, escaped injury.
Local residents reached the house after the explosion, rescued the family members and moved them to hospital before informing the police. Senior police officers, a scientific team, a dog squad and a bomb-disposal squad were sent to the site to determine what caused the blast.
Ganjam Superintendent of Police Harish BC said police suspected that the explosion may have resulted from cooking gas leaking from the LPG cylinder. The bomb-disposal squad from Bhubaneswar examined the site through visual inspection and used an explosive vapour detector during its search.
The search team did not find any explosive substances inside the house, but the exact cause of the blast had not been established. Police said an inquiry was continuing.
The family had reportedly been living in the rented house for several years. One of Kapil’s sons works as a revenue inspector, while another was preparing for competitive examinations. The investigation will determine how the suspected gas leak accumulated and what triggered the explosion.
