Team formed to probe blast at Salimpur Ahra

PATNA: The state police headquarters has set up a four-member team to probe the explosion in a Salimpur Ahra house in the state capital, which had left seven people, including six members of a family and a neighbour, injured on Monday. The team headed by ADG (CID) Vinay Kumar will find out the cause of explosion and assess the damages to the buildings, ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said on Tuesday. The police headquarters, however, didn’t specify any time limit for the probe team to submit its report.
The probe team visited the site on Tuesday and inquired about the incident. ADG (CID) Vinay Kumar also talked to the injured at PMCH.
Police sources said an FIR was lodged with Gandhi Maidan police station in connection with the explosion under Sections 285, 279, 337, 338, 436 and 307 of IPC. Prima facie it was found that the explosion took place in the house of Arjun Sao due to leakage of gas from an LPG cylinder.
A joint team of state forensic science laboratory (FSL) and anti-terrorism squad (ATS) had collected samples from the site. However, the forensic experts didn’t find any evidence of explosion due to explosive substance. Even the doctors attending to the victims had ruled out injuries caused to them due to explosives, said Patna SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma.
“So prima facie we are of the opinion that the incident was a result of leakage of LPG cylinder,” Sharma said.
The SSP said one of the victims, an old woman, had received over 50% burn injuries in the incident. The condition of other injured admitted to the PMCH was stated to be out of danger. He said the FIR was lodged against unidentified persons on the statement of Baidyanath Mahto, an autorickshaw driver, who was staying with his family in the rented flat where explosion took place. Mahto, his wife, mother and three children were injured.
Injured woman dies: Gangajali Devi (70), who had suffered burn injuries in the explosion in her rented accommodation at Salimpur Ahra under Gandhi Maidan police station on Monday, died during treatment at the PMCH on Tuesday. Police said Gangajali had suffered more than 50% burn injuries.