Three people were injured after a suspected gas cylinder blast at a hotel on Grand Road in Puri on Thursday, with police investigating an explosion that occurred while a fresh gas connection was reportedly being installed.
The injured were identified as Pappu Swain, 26, Prashant Sarkar, 35, and hotel security guard Sukanta Pradhan, 50. They were first taken to Puri district headquarters hospital and later referred to private hospitals in Bhubaneswar because of their condition, according to the report.
The blast sent thick black smoke across the area in front of the hotel and briefly plunged the locality into darkness, triggering panic among people nearby. The hotel was closed when the explosion occurred, and no customers were present or injured.
Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh visited the site and initiated an investigation. Police have examined the hotel’s CCTV footage as part of efforts to establish what happened during the installation work.
Fire officer Prabhat Rout said preliminary information suggested that a flash fire during the gas connection process may have triggered the explosion. He also said the exact sequence of events had not yet been established. The cause of the blast remains under investigation.
The incident occurred as the hotel prepared to reopen its ground-floor restaurant, which had been closed for about two months because of inadequate drainage facilities. The restaurant was scheduled to resume operations in three days, and preparations for reopening had begun on Thursday. A puja was held at the premises in the morning before an agent from a gas agency arrived to provide a fresh connection.
The blast highlights the risks that can arise when fuel systems are installed or reconnected in commercial premises, although investigators have not yet determined whether an equipment failure, a leak or another factor caused the incident. The hotel’s closure meant that customers were not exposed to the blast, but the three people at or near the premises sustained injuries.
Police and fire officials are expected to establish the cause after examining the CCTV footage and reconstructing the installation process. The restaurant’s reopening plans will depend on the investigation and the condition of the premises.
