Nine migrant workers from West Bengal sustained severe burn injuries after a massive gas leak explosion tore through a private Paying Guest (PG) accommodation in Bengaluru early this morning.
The incident occurred around 6:30 AM on the second floor of a three-storey building. The blast, which was triggered by a gas leak in the kitchen, was so powerful that it shattered glass windows and doors of the entire floor and also damaged a neighboring building.
All nine victims were cramped into a single-bedroom unit with a small kitchen and bathroom. While a worker jumped from the building and sustained a minor fracture, other workers sustained over 60 per cent burn injuries. Doctors have stated that all the injured are currently stable despite the severity of the burns.
They were identified as Debasis Halder, Debasis Malik, Subrata Bera, Hsbibul Rehman, Sourav Chowdhary, Santan Ray, Syed Alahuddin, and Diswanatb, all hailing from West Bengal.
After inspecting the site, Joint Commissioner (East Division) Ramesh Banoth said that "everything there is a violation." He confirmed that investigators are probing how nine people were permitted to stay in one room.
The PG consists of multiple such units, each allegedly accommodating several labourers.
Preliminary investigations suggest the explosion was caused by a buildup of gas from a leaking cylinder. Officials noted that the workers had likely shut all windows overnight to keep mosquitoes out, which trapped the leaked gas inside.
The cylinder reportedly belonged to a local private brand, and police are now verifying the company's credentials along with the quality of the cylinder, regulator, and connecting pipes.
The building is owned by Nagaraj Reddy and leased to Gangaraju, who operates the PG.
