Rajasthan: Cylinder blast injures 13 in house preparing for wedding

Jodhpur, Nov 4 (PTI) Thirteen people were injured here on Tuesday evening after two gas cylinders exploded at a house gearing up for a wedding, police said.

Among the injured, two are in a critical condition and are undergoing treatment at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, they said. Earlier police said that 14 people were injured in the blast.

The incident occurred in Hardhani village near Baori, when preparations were underway for the wedding of Mahendra, scheduled for November 15. The groom was among those injured, police added.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bhopal Singh Lakhawat said construction work was going on at the house when sparks from a gas welding machine ignited a nearby gas cylinder, triggering the first blast.

Moments later, another cylinder also exploded, the officer said.

The explosions caused panic in the neighbourhood, with debris and metal fragments flying across the site. "A spark occurred during welding, and suddenly there was a huge explosion. We couldn't tell if it was a CNG tank or a gas cylinder, everything was covered in smoke," one of the injured said.

Mathuradas Mathur Hospital (MDM) Superintendent Dr Vikas Rajpurohit said most of the people sustained injuries from flying metal fragments.

"All the injured are stable, though two are under close observation," he added. PTI COR AG OZ OZ OZ