Puri (Odisha) [India], November 13 (ANI): At least three hotel employees and one fire service personnel sustained injuries after a gas cylinder explosion triggered a major fire at a hotel located on the bustling Grand Road (Bada Danda) in Puri on Friday, officials said.
The incident occurred at the TP Hotel situated along the Grand Road, in close proximity to the Shree Jagannath Temple. The impact of the blast was so severe that it shattered glass windows, blew off parts of the false ceiling, and scattered shards and debris onto the busy street outside.
Fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the spot, and firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control.
Speaking to ANI, Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Prateek Geeta Singh said, "We received information that on Grand Road, at a private hotel-cum-lodge, a loud blast-like sound was heard on the ground floor. Immediately, the fire department and local police staff rushed to the spot. Upon arrival, our primary task was rescue. All individuals present inside were rescued. Three people have sustained injuries, including one of our fire personnel who suffered an injury to his hand during rescue operations."
The SP further stated that precautionary measures were promptly taken to prevent secondary explosions.
"Apart from that, since it is a hotel, all inflammable items present inside, such as gas cylinders, were brought outside. We have cordoned off the area and are currently investigating what could have caused this," he added.
Providing details on the suspected cause, Puri Fire Officer Prabhat Kumar Rout stated that preliminary findings point towards a gas cloud burst inside the facility.
"From what it appears, there was a bursting of gas inside—it could be a gas cloud burst—because some work involving gas was underway inside, and gas cylinders were also stored in the premises. According to our preliminary investigation, it seems a gas cloud burst may have occurred. That could be the primary cause," he told ANI.
He further noted that a guest trapped inside an elevator was safely rescued by emergency personnel. "Those who were affected were rescued and shifted to the hospital. One person who was trapped inside the lift was also safely rescued. During this rescue operation, one of our firefighters sustained minor injuries and was also shifted to the hospital."
When asked about the fire safety measures in place at the hotel, the official added, "From what we observed, fire safety arrangements were in place in the kitchen. Due to the minor fire that broke out, the automatic sprinklers activated and discharged water, which extinguished that fire automatically. There is no fire or smoke inside now. We went inside and inspected everything thoroughly. The rest of the investigation is ongoing."
Recounting the horrific scene, an eyewitness who was standing across the street stated that the blast threw a person outside onto the road amid falling debris.
"I was on the opposite side of the road. When the blast occurred, a person was blown outside along with shattered glass pieces and the false ceiling. The blast was so powerful and the sound was so loud that everyone around here was stunned as to what suddenly happened and how such a loud noise occurred," the eyewitness told ANI.
Describing the condition of the victims, the eyewitness added that multiple people sustained severe injuries.
"At least five people were injured. Two of them are very critical. The security guard was also badly injured with severe damage to his hand. Since this is right in front of the Jagannath Temple, people keep coming and going continuously," he said.
The eyewitness further mentioned that local bystanders rushed to help the victims despite the immediate fear of secondary blasts. "When we crossed over from that side of the road to this side, there was still a fear in mind that if another blast occurred, we didn't have any safety equipment to go inside to check if someone was trapped inside or buried underneath—because the entire false ceiling had collapsed completely from top to bottom," he added.
Further investigation is underway, and more details are awaited. (ANI)
Suspected gas explosion triggers fire at hotel on Puri’s Grand Road; 3 injured
