Bengaluru: Nine migrants from West Bengal, who were daily-wage workers associated with an engineering firm, sustained severe burns after a leaking LPG cylinder caused an explosion in their paying guest accommodation in Bommasandra-Hebbagodi, Electronics City, early Thursday. They were staying in a single-bedroom unit with a small kitchen and bathroom.Police said the incident occurred at 6.30am on the second floor of the three-storey building, owned by Nagaraj Reddy and leased to Gangaraju, who operates Jai Sai Comforts PG.The blast, triggered by an LPG cylinder leak in the kitchen, was so powerful that it shattered glass windows and doors across the entire floor and even damaged those of a neighbouring building.Neighbours called the police control room on hearing the explosion, and Hebbagodi cops, along with night-patrol officers, rushed to the spot. The workers, with burns ranging from 25% to 60%, were shifted to a private hospital. One worker also suffered a hand fracture.The injured are Debasis Halder, Debasis Malik, Subrata Bera, Hisbul Khan, Ahmed Rehman, Sourav Chowdhary, Santan Ray, Syed Alahuddin and Biswanath.Preliminary investigation suggests the explosion was caused by a build-up of gas from a leaking LPG cylinder. Officials said the workers may have shut all windows overnight to keep away mosquitoes, which trapped the gas inside.The cylinder reportedly belonged to a local private brand, and police are verifying the company’s credentials along with the quality of the cylinder, regulator and connecting pipes.
