A tragic gas cylinder explosion at a shared accommodation in Bengaluru's Kundalahalli area on Monday evening claimed the life of a young IT professional and left three others injured. The incident has raised serious questions about safety norms in paying guest facilities across the city.
Deadly Blast at Seven Hills Sai Co-Living
The explosion occurred around 6:15 pm at the Seven Hills Sai Co-Living paying guest facility. The ground floor of the seven-storey building, which houses 43 rooms, was the epicenter of the blast. Preliminary investigations point to the involvement of a commercial-grade gas cylinder, though the exact cause of ignition remains under investigation.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) K Parashurama stated that the deceased victim, along with the others, was on the terrace when they noticed smoke billowing. As they descended, the powerful blast occurred simultaneously, leading to the fatality.
Victims Identified, Building Violations Suspected
The deceased has been identified as Aravind, a 23-year-old senior analyst with French IT giant Capgemini and a native of Ballari, Karnataka. The three injured individuals are:
- Venkatesh (28) from Kurnool
- Vishal Verma (23) from Uttarakhand
- CV Goel (25), a woman from Uttarakhand
All injured are receiving treatment at Brookefield Hospital. Police confirmed that two of the injured are employees of private companies, while one works as a helper at the PG.
Authorities have registered a case and are examining the building for potential violations. "We are examining the building for violations. We have already noticed that there was no setback provided during construction, and we are verifying whether other rules were also defied," DCP Parashurama told reporters. The PG is owned by Vishnu, a resident of Andhra Pradesh, and is locally managed by Roja.
Separate Cylinder Tragedy in Uttar Pradesh
In a separate and unrelated incident on the same day, a cylinder blast in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar claimed three lives. The tragedy in the Vasundhara Residency area occurred around 4:39 PM. Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar identified the deceased as 70-year-old Sushila Devi and her two sons, Amit and Nitin. One other person was injured but is reported to be out of danger. Police stated the fire was caused by an explosion in two cylinders.
The Bengaluru explosion underscores the critical need for stringent enforcement of safety regulations, especially in densely populated shared accommodations housing young professionals. The use of commercial-grade cylinders in residential settings and adherence to building codes are likely to be key focus areas of the ongoing probe.
