On Thursday morning, an explosion involving an LPG cylinder in Salempur village, located in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district, resulted in serious injuries to at least 11 individuals, including seven children and two women. Police reports indicate that many of the victims suffered burns covering 50 to 60 percent of their bodies, with the condition of one pregnant woman being particularly critical.
The incident reportedly took place while gas was being transferred from a larger cylinder to a smaller one inside a residence housing multiple rooms occupied by migrant laborers. Initial investigations suggest that a sudden explosion occurred during this transfer, igniting a significant fire that spread throughout one of the rooms.
A police official described the severity of the blast, noting that it was powerful enough to cause walls to collapse and resulted in cracks forming in the roof of the house.
The injured individuals are all members of families who have migrated to the area, which consists of around 17 rooms accommodating various such families.
The victims include Gajender’s wife Reena, aged 40, along with their daughters Shubhavati, 11, and Simran, just 2 months old; Ramsaran, 43, and his wife Sangeeta, 20, who is two months pregnant; Shanti, 4, daughter of Vijender; Neha, 9, daughter of Bende Raj; Saraswati, 10, daughter of Vrinda Lal; Vijayanti, 6, daughter of Yogender; Ramgyan, 43, son of Harichand; and Anshu, 8, daughter of Bhutan Thakur.
Following initial medical care at the civil hospital in Jagadhari, most of the victims have been transferred to PGIMER in Chandigarh for further treatment, as confirmed by the police. Anshu is currently receiving care at the Jagadhari facility.
According to a police officer, ambulances were dispatched promptly to the scene to transport the injured individuals to the civil hospital in Jagadhari, where medical staff provided immediate assistance. Two surgeons were assigned to manage the emergency situation, while Deputy Commissioner Preeti reached out to the hospital to monitor the circumstances.
One victim, Ramsaran, recounted to the police that the family had been cooking outside their room. He explained that they had two gas cylinders nearby, one of which was leaking. “Suddenly, the leaking cylinder toppled into the room, filling it with gas. A fire from the stove ignited the gas, resulting in a massive explosion,” he stated.
Ramsaran also mentioned that the situation could have been even more dire, as several residents had left the room just 30 minutes prior to the explosion to head to work at a nearby factory.
The police have initiated an investigation into the incident, with forensic experts already examining the scene. Station House Officer Tarsem Kumar from the Jagadhri Sadar police informed reporters that preliminary findings indicate the explosion resulted from gas being transferred between cylinders inside the room, but the definitive cause will be established following a comprehensive investigation.
