On Sunday evening, a shocking incident occurred at Kidzee, a pre-school situated within the Orchid society in Wagholi, when a domestic LPG cylinder exploded in the building’s basement. The Pune city police have initiated an investigation into the matter.
One resident recounted the experience, stating, “I was watching the IPL match when I heard a loud bang. It felt as though my balcony had collapsed. A young girl was actually the first to notice the flames. She alerted her father, who then informed the rest of us. We quickly evacuated the society buildings and allowed the authorities to handle the situation.”
Another resident mentioned, “When we heard the noise outside, we decided to check what had happened. Initially, I thought a transformer had exploded. Later, we learned that it was an LPG cylinder explosion at the preschool. We moved our vehicles away from the building for safety.”
The community residents were puzzled about the presence of LPG cylinders in the preschool. Atul Mittal, a member of the managing committee overseeing the institution, clarified that there was an LPG cylinder located on the first floor in the kitchen, which was safely retrieved by firefighters. “However, a smaller, nearly empty cylinder was reportedly stored on the ground floor for safekeeping, which exploded during the incident. This smaller cylinder was also supposed to be kept in the kitchen on the first floor. We are currently investigating who is accountable for this situation,” Mittal explained.
The fire brigade reported that the incident was noted near the staircase at approximately 6:15 PM. Teams from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) and the Pune fire brigade promptly responded to the scene.
Officials from the fire department confirmed that the preschool was closed on Sunday, therefore no injuries were reported. Nevertheless, the fire caused damage to furniture and other materials within the school.
Mittal indicated that the fire was determined to be caused by an electrical short circuit. “The inverter batteries that were stored there also caught fire, which intensified the blaze. We promptly notified the fire brigade, and the firefighters managed to control the situation within 15 minutes. The fire was confined to the basement area. The smoke traveled up the staircase, creating an illusion of a larger fire. We urge everyone not to believe in any rumors,” he added.
Regarding potential negligence, senior police inspector Nandakumar Gaikwad from the Wagholi police station stated that an investigation is underway. “Currently, it appears that the fire was caused by a short circuit,” he confirmed.
