5 killed, 49 injured in cooking gas cylinder blast in Jodhpur

Five people were killed and 49 injured after a cooking gas cylinder exploded in a house in Rajasthan's Jodhpur where guests had gathered for a wedding, police said on Friday.

A portion of the house in Shergarh sub-division's Bhungra village also collapsed due to the impact of the blast that occurred on Thursday afternoon, they said.

Some of the injured sustained 80 to 100 per cent burns, according to officials.

Guests had gathered at the house of bridegroom Surendra Singh and food was being prepared for them. A cooking gas cylinder kept in the store room of the house caught fire following a leak and exploded, said Jodhpur (Rural) Superintendent of Police (SP) Anil Kayal.

Other guests and villagers rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation.

Two children, Ratan Singh (5) and Khushboo (4), died on the spot. All the injured were rushed to the MG Hospital, Kayal said.

District Collector Himanshu Gupta said 54 people were injured in the blast and five of them died.

Superintendent of MG Hospital Raj Shree Behra said over a dozen injured brought to the hospital have sustained 80-100 per cent burns and are in serious condition.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Union minister and Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat expressed their condolences over the loss of lives in the incident. They directed officials to provide the best possible treatment to the injured.