Four of family killed in fire and gas cylinder blast in Chhattisgarh

Four members of a family, including two minors, died after a fire broke out in their home in Kumhari town of Chhattisgarh’s Durg district, followed by a gas cylinder explosion. Authorities suspect an electrical spark may have triggered the tragedy

Durg: Four members of a family, two of them minors, were killed after a fire engulfed their house and a cooking gas cylinder subsequently exploded in a town in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on Tuesday, police said. The incident occurred in the Khapri Road area of Kumhari town in the afternoon, a senior police official said.

The deceased were identified as Homdas Vaishnav (40), Lakshmi Vaishnav (18), Chandani (17) and Gopika (2), he said. Prima facie, it seems the house caught fire first and the cooking gas cylinder exploded later, resulting in the deaths of the four occupants, the official said.

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An investigation was underway to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, he added. Eyewitnesses told reporters that sparks emanating from an electricity pole located adjacent to the house may have triggered the blaze and the subsequent cylinder explosion.