<![CDATA[AGRA: A powerful explosion ripped through a house in a locality in Aligarh early on Friday morning, killing three persons and injuring at least 12 others. Five houses were damaged in the explosion. While fire department officials have said it was caused by a leaking gas cylinder, neighbors have alleged that it was impossible for such a powerful explosion to have been caused by just LPG. The explosion occurred at around 6:40 am in the house of one Gangaram (who goes by his first name) in Beemanagar locality. Gangaram was away at the time of the incident. His two sons, Kunwar Pal (27), who ran a mobile shop next door, and Anshu (24), a college student, were killed in the explosion. His wife, Pushpa Devi, was critically injured and admitted at JN Medical College. Dr Ehtisham Ahmed, who was on duty at JN Medical College, said that Devi's lower limbs were amputated by the force of the blast and she sustained multiple fractures, besides facial and head injuries. Devi died later in the day. Two others who were also admitted to the hospital had non-life threatening burn injuries. Gangaram's daughters Jyoti and Babita were also injured and were admitted in the hospital. Their condition is stated to be stable. Others who were injured in the explosion were identified as Nidhi, 8, and her brother Monty, 6, Deepak, 15, and his sister Pooja, 12, Jwaladevi, Premvati, Aakash, Trilkonath, Arjun Sagar and Reena, all neighbours. According to eyewitnesses, the blast was so powerful that it damaged buildings and vehicles in a radius of 50 metres. Neighbours were unwilling to believe it was just a gas cylinder blast. Kuldeep Singh, who works in a private company and resides in the vicinity, said that he was sleeping when the blast rocked the neighbourhood. He said a power breakdown followed and he initially thought that some transformer had exploded. "White smoke filled the air and people started screaming," he said, adding that he immediately came out of his house and saw the devastation. Singh told that the blast was of high intensity as a three-storey house of one Janki Prasad, who ran a shoe shop on the ground floor, was also badly damaged.footwear and shoe business on ground floor, was also badly damaged. However no one in Singh's or Prasad's family sustained serious injuries. Rumours were rife that Gangaram could have stored some material for making firecrackers in his house and this had exploded. According to Chief fire officer Vivek Sharma, it appears that this was a gas cloud burst. It seems there was a leakage in the gas cylinder and it formed a cloud that burst when someone attempted to ignite the burner." Senior Superintendent of Police Mr. Rajesh Pandey told that Forensic experts are investigating the cause of the blast. Eyewitnesses said it occurred due to a gas cylinder leak. The matter is being looked into.]]>
