Tragedy struck Mau when a massive explosion in an LPG cylinder in Mohamadabad locality of Walidpur left 13 people dead and over a dozen others critically injured.
The impact of the blast early Monday morning was so powerful that a two-storey house occupied by three families collapsed while two adjoining buildings suffered extensive damage.
Local police along with senior officers rushed to the spot after receiving the information and summoned the team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to rescue those trapped under the rubble of the house.
The blast took place at the house of Chhotu Vishwakarma, who had died around ten years ago. His widow and five daughters were staying in the house, the police said.
Chhotu’s three daughters — Mona (20), Mamata (18) and Sanjana (15) — died in the blast while the remaining family members are missing, the local police claimed.
The police registered a case and the sleuths of Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) asked to inspect the site to find out whether it an LPG cylinder had exploded or some terror activity was underway which resulted in the blast.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and directed that district magistrate and district police chief and other officers to provide all possible relief and medical help to the injured.
According to reports, while seven people died on the spot, six succumbed to their injuries in the hospital during treatment. Of the injured, the condition of seven was stated to be critical. Among the deceased, five are male, three women, three girls and two children.
Director General of Police OP Singh said that the incident occurred in Vichlapura area in Walidpur village at around 7:30 am when a two-storey building collapsed due to the impact of the blast in LPG cylinder. He said the priority of the authorities was to rescue the trapped people and SDRF had been rushed to the spot.
Prima facie, the blast was triggered by a possible leakage in the cooking gas cylinder, Inspector General (Law and Order) Praveen Kumar said in Lucknow.
District Magistrate Gyanprakash Tripathi said that the incident occurred when the family members were cooking breakfast for the family.
Sources in the police said that the number of casualties could increase as several of the injured were in critical condition.
Four family members of Kanhaiya Vishwakarma, whose house stood next to Chhotu’s house, also died in the blast, the police said, adding that it was not immediately known how the deceased — Reena, Sarita, Sonam and Simpi — were related to Kanhaiya.
Another neighbour, Surendra Vishwakarma, and his daughter Nidhi (10) also died in the explosion, the police said, adding that four passers-by — Imtiaz (25), Zeeshan (15) and Yasir (13) and Shivam — were also killed in the blast.
The injured are undergoing treatment at district hospitals in Mau and adjoining Azamgarh district, they added.
Speaking to reporters outside the Mau district hospital, Cabinet minister Anil Rajbhar said, “It is a sad incident. A house has been completely destroyed. The state government is with the tragedy-hit family. Every possible medical help will be given to the injured.”
A pall of gloom hung over Walidpur. Residents said it would be a dark Diwali for them this year. To prevent further loss of lives, the neighbourhood has been vacated as some houses have developed cracks due to the explosion, according to police said.
Meanwhile, one person was killed while six others of the same family were critically injured in a blast at an illegal crackers factory in Daulatpur village of Kannauj on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified as Khushbu (19), whose father Jalaluddin had stored crackers in his house.
Police said on Monday that the explosion occurred at around 2 am on Monday and in the blast the entire house collapsed.
However, after investigation, the officials maintained that the explosion occurred due to LPG leakage.
The condition of the injured were said to be critical.
