One person was killed and nine, including children, sustained injuries after a suspected explosion of a leaking Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder in a house. A common wall between the house and an adjacent apartment also collapsed in the explosion.

The incident took place on Sunday morning in Dighi area of Pimpri Chinchwad.

According to the local police, the explosion took place at 7.30 am in a residential complex in Mahadevnagar area of Dighi.

Inspector Vivek Lawand of Dighi police station said, “Primary investigation points to the explosion of LPG which seemed to have been leaking in the kitchen of the Surawade family. When someone switched on an electrical appliance in the morning or may have tried to light the kitchen gas burner, the explosion occurred.”

It caused the collapse of a wall in an adjacent flat, they said. “We believe that the family members could not detect the odour of the gas possibly because overnight exposure might have gotten their senses used to it, which is commonly the reason in such cases,” the police added.

Lawand added, “One person from the neighbouring Temkar family has died in the wall collapse. Five persons from the Surawade family have sustained injuries. Along with one death, nine persons have sustained injuries in the case.”

Police have identified the deceased as Dnyaneshwar Temkar (40), who was trapped under debris of the wall and was declared dead upon being taken to hospital. His eight-year-old daughter is among the injured. Archana Surawade (35), has sustained 80 per cent injuries and is said to be critical. Archana’s husband and three children are among those injured.

Vijay Pachpute, a relative of the Temkars, whose family had come to stay with them, told The Indian Express, “My wife, two children and I had come to the Temkar’s house on Saturday night. He was my brother-in-law. We were getting ready to leave in the morning and the Temkar family was also getting ready as they wanted to go to their native village near Manchar.”

Pachpute recollected that Dnyaneshwar was going for a bath when they heard a huge explosion. “The next second I saw the wall collapsing and Dnyaneshwar getting trapped under the rubble. With the help of some neighbours, I pulled him out. Meanwhile, I realised that my daughter had sustained severe injuries on the leg. I rushed her to a hospital in Nigdi and neighbours rushed Dnyaneshwar to a hospital nearby. He was declared brought dead there,” he added.