Around 3000 LPG cylinders swept into river after floodwaters breach HPCL plant in Maharashtra's Raigad

Around 3,000 LPG cylinders were swept into the Patalganga River after floodwaters breached the boundary wall of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited's (HPCL) Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant in Maharashtra's Raigad district following heavy rainfall. The incident has triggered major safety concerns, with authorities urging people not to touch or collect the drifting cylinders.

According to officials, relentless rain caused flooding inside the bottling plant in Chavane village of Panvel taluka, allowing both filled and empty LPG cylinders to be carried away by the strong current into the Patalganga River and Kharpada Creek. Videos showing hundreds of cylinders floating downstream have gone viral on social media.

Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale appealed to residents to stay away from any cylinders found in the river or washed ashore, warning that some may still contain LPG and could pose a serious fire or explosion hazard. Citizens have been asked to hand over any recovered cylinders to HPCL, the nearest HPCL dealer, or designated government offices.

Authorities are monitoring the situation and working to recover the cylinders as heavy rainfall continues across parts of Maharashtra. The incident has also highlighted the vulnerability of industrial infrastructure to extreme weather events during the monsoon season.