Tuesday, October 18, 2011

LPG lamp explodes in Pakyong, injures 23

GANGTOK, 16 Sept: Twenty-three people suffered various degrees of burn injuries when an LPG lamp [Petromax] in a tea-shop leaked, exploded and engulfed an area of approximately 10 meters in the heart of Pakyong bazaar yesterday at 1 in the afternoon.
OC, Pakyong, PI Mahindra Subba, while speaking to NOW! today said, “We received a distress call that an explosion had taken place at the tea- shop and rushed to the spot within a couple of minutes. Our first task was to first rescue  and evacuate all the injured from the spot, cordon off the area, put off the fire with the help of the Fire department personnel and restore normalcy there since most of the victims were in a state of shock and trauma,”.
According to him, preliminary investigation by the police has revealed that the explosion was from the small cylinder used in the lamp and not the other commercial LPG cylinders used in the shop. The 3 litre, LPG lamp was being used in a tea-shop owned by one Chandrama Prasad.
“This happened between 12:30 and 1pm when a leak in the joint of the lamp slowly started to leak gas in the area. There was an LPG stove kept outside the kitchen, which is also where the customers were seated, which kindled the ignition for the fire. The fire was not very huge but it was the fumes which were ignited at the instant which engulfed everyone inside and many people sitting outside the shop. Thankfully, there was no ignition to the other LPG cylinders kept inside the shop otherwise the number of casualties could have been much higher,” informed the PI.
He further said that investigation had also revealed that someone in the shop had noticed the leak and had tried to shut the burning lamp and the stove outside with the help of some cloth. This had caused the small cylinder to fall on the floor and instantly shoot-off huge fumes that engulfed everyone in a matter of seconds because gas had already accumulated in the area. According to eye-witnesses, the fire was hardly visible because of its intensity and the spontaneity with which it hit.
“Our other course of action after we had evacuated everyone to safety was to pull out all the LPG cylinders from the structure which is an RCC structure. However, the kitchen was a temporary one made from wood. The building belongs to one Bishma Pokhrel from Lingzey in East Sikkim. We started bringing all the commercial cylinders out and by the time had also shut down all vulnerable LPG appliances along with the power supply to the area,” he informed.
According to the PI, five persons were said to have recuperated at the Pakyong PHC, while 18 were referred to Gangtok. Three persons from one family were rushed to Anandalok Hospital in Siliguri last evening after they were referred from the Central Referral Hospital, Tadong where another 18 are undergoing treatment at present for various degrees of burn and splinter inflicted wounds.
While mentioning that all safety and precautionary measures had been put in place after the incident in the area which is in the heart of town and the risk of a fire spreading averted in a very short span of time the PI informed that “Our focus was to then immediately send the victims to the hospital. We have information that 15 persons are said to be out of danger at CRH, Manipal but a ten-year old child out of the three referred to Siliguri, was still critical as she had serious splinter wounds,”.
The ones referred to Siliguri from one family are a mother, Lakhu Doma Bhutia, her son, 13 year old Tempo Tshering Bhutia and 10 year old daughter, Lazi Doma Bhutia who are admitted at the ICU there.
The Police in the meantime have registered a case of negligence against the shop owner and informed that he will be arrested from CRH, Manipal as soon as he recovers from burn injuries also sustained during the fire. 

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