Pune Lpg Cylinder Blast Techie Dies Daughter Survives

A Pune techie died and his young daughter had a miraculous escape after a leak from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder resulted in a blast at their house in Kharadi on Friday morning. The five-year-old girl survived after jumping from the first‑floor balcony, where a resident caught her, saving her life. Two other family members suffered severe burn injuries.

The incident took place at a house in Fortune City, Khandve Nagar.

The police identified the deceased as Pandurang Vishnu Gite, 35. His father, Vishnu Munjaji Gite, 82, and mother Vrundavani, 60, have sustained severe burn injuries and are undergoing treatment, the police added. While Pandurang’s wife, Rajashree, and daughter, Niharika, were also present at the house, Rajashree was away from the spot where the explosion took place.

Fire officer Datta Satav said the Pune Fire Brigade received a call about the explosion around 9.15 am. Soon, a fire brigade team reached the spot with a fire tender and water tankers. The firemen doused the flames, and the injured were taken to a hospital in an ambulance, he added.

“Prima facie, it is learnt that the explosion took place when the victims were replacing an empty domestic LPG cylinder with a refilled one. The LPG may have leaked during the process and exploded after coming in contact with fire,” Senior Fire Officer Pramod Sonawane said.

A neighbour, Anamika Chandanshive, said that Pandurang was an IT professional working with a company in the Kharadi area.

Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan of Kharadi police station said a probe is on to confirm the cause behind the incident. The injured family members are critical, the police added.

Vishakha Toshniwal is an intern with The Indian Express.