One dead, six injured in Muzaffarpur PNG pipeline explosion
A committee has been formed to investigate negligence after a gas pipeline was damaged during drainage construction work in Bihar.
A piped natural gas (PNG) pipeline explosion in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, killed one person and injured six others on Monday, according to ANI and The News Mill.
Muzaffarpur District Magistrate (DM) Kumar Gaurav said preliminary investigations indicated a JCB machine damaged the pipeline during excavation work for drainage construction by the Road Construction Department (RCD).
The blast occurred between 12:10 pm and 12:15 pm, as reported by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kantesh Kumar Mishra.
Of the six injured, one person at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) is in critical condition with over 80 per cent burns, while another at the same hospital has 20 per cent burns. Four others are receiving treatment at Sadar Hospital.
A victim of the explosion alleged that prior warnings about a possible mishap were ignored and claimed that everything was reduced to ashes.
DM Gaurav stated a committee has been constituted to investigate the circumstances and ascertain negligence. SSP Mishra said police are coordinating with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Indian Oil experts regarding the technical gas leak.