Six injured in AC blast in Steel City, house caves-in

Jamshedpur: Six persons, including two minors, sustained burn injuries in an air conditioner (AC) blast at their home in Barigora under Pursudih police station limits in the wee hours of Sunday. The fire from the AC spread to the adjoining rooms and gutted furniture, curtains and other belongings of the family. Two fire engines were pressed into service to douse the flames.
As an impact of the blast, a portion of the three-storeyed house collapsed and adjoining houses felt mild tremors, sources said.
Officer in-charge of the police station Ajay Tiwari said two persons sustained 40% burn injuries while the remaining have received lesser injuries. All six are undergoing treatment at Tata Main Hospital.
The family of four and their two relatives were asleep when the blast occurred around 4am. The head of the family, Sanjit Singh (40), an employee of Tata Motors, his wife, Khushboo (36), daughter Ayushi (5), son Ayaan (3), and their two relatives, including a 25-year-old niece and an elderly woman, received injuries.
Speaking to TOI, mukhiya Sunita Nag said, “The noise of the blast shook us up from our sleep and we rushed out of our homes. When the neighbours noticed the fire, they rushed to rescue the family members and took them to the hospital.”
A local, sensing foul play, on condition of anonymity, said, “An AC blast cannot cause such massive destruction. Sanjit’s nephew is a drug addict and is not of sound mental health. Cops should interrogate him to ascertain the cause of fire.”
Police said prima facie it seems to be an accidental blast, but a detailed investigation is underway to know the exact cause. “The injured persons are the first eye witnesses to the incident and we have to wait till they give their statement. All the family members are currently undergoing treatment,” Tiwari said.