Toll mounts to three,tanker driver booked
Hoshiarpur, Aug. 24 -- The death toll in the LPG tanker explosion near Mandiala Adda on the Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar road rose to three on Saturday, as another victim succumbed to burn injuries, police said.
The incident occurred around 10pm on Friday when a pickup truck collided with an LPG tanker, triggering a massive fire. The blaze rapidly spread, engulfing 30 shops and 20 residences in the vicinity.
According to police, 28-year-old Dharminder Verma of Mandiala village, who had sustained critical burns, died at Government Medical College in Amritsar, said civil surgeon Dr Pawan Kumar.
Earlier, the bodies of tanker driver Sukhjeet Singh, a resident of Dehlon in Ludhiana, and Balwant Rai, a local resident, were recovered. Rai was charred to death in a room adjacent to his medical store, while the third body was initially unrecognisable due to extensive burns.
Station house officer (SHO) of Bullowal said 21 persons were injured in the incident, with several in critical condition. Seven are being treated at Hoshiarpur civil hospital and eight at a private hospital, while others are admitted to facilities in Hoshiarpur and Adampur.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered against the tanker driver under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 324(4) (causing wrongful loss to property) of the BNS. An investigation is underway to determine why the tanker was driven into a densely populated area.
Hoshiarpur SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik confirmed that two people have been booked under the Essential Commodities Act in connection with alleged black marketing of the LPG. The police are probing whether the tanker was being used for illegal LPG trade.
Earlier in the day, villagers held a dharna near the accident site, demanding strict action against those responsible and compensation for victims. Village sarpanch Sukhwant Singh claimed that the tanker was operating illegally and warned that the damage could have been catastrophic had the blast occurred near the Hindustan Petroleum bottling plant, located just a kilometre away.
The dharna was lifted after three hours following assurances from civil and police officials. JCB machines and cranes were deployed to clear the wreckage.
Survivors of the incident remain in shock. Amarjit Kaur, whose husband and four family members were injured, described the chaos: "There was fire and smoke all around. People were running in panic. We couldn't see anything."
Another survivor, Raghav, said his family was awake when the explosion happened but had no time to react. His mother, Sukhjit Kaur, suffered serious burn injuries. Harbans Lal, who sustained burns on his legs, said he was trapped inside his room when smoke and fire suddenly entered their home.
Deputy commissioner Ashika Jain assured that all injured individuals would receive free medical treatment and said that Hindustan Petroleum officials had been summoned for an inquiry.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced Rs.2 lakh ex gratia relief to families of the deceased. In a post on X, Mann said a major accident occurred last night in Mandiala village because of the explosion in the LPG tanker. The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs.2 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the incident, he added. The injured will be treated free of cost, Mann further said on X.
Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria expressed deep condolences and praised the swift action by emergency teams.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who was accompanied by Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, demanded Rs.1 crore for each bereaved family and donated Rs.1.1 lakh from the Punjab Congress for treatment of the injured. Jalandhar Cantt legislator Pargat Singh called for murder charges against those responsible, citing LPG pilferage as a contributing factor....
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