Kendrapada: In a tragic incident, two women were critically injured after a cooking gas cylinder exploded in Mahipal area on the outskirts of Kendrapada town of Odisha.
The victims, identified as Jamala Firdos and Afsana Bibi — both daughters-in-law of Sekh Gafur — were cooking when the cylinder suddenly burst, engulfing the house in flames.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire spread rapidly, reducing household items to ashes and sparking panic in the neighbourhood. Family members rushed the injured women to Kendrapada District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), where doctors confirmed that Jamala’s condition is critical.
According to relatives, the cylinder had been newly purchased just a day earlier. Investigators are probing whether the blast was caused by a leak, a regulator fault, or mishandling during use.
Firefighters from the local fire department arrived promptly and managed to control the blaze, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures.
Police have registered a case and launched an inquiry into the incident, while authorities stressed the importance of strict adherence to domestic LPG safety norms.
