Narrow escape for Telangana BJP President B Kishan Reddy from explosion site

Hyderabad: Telangana BJP president and MLA B. Kishan Reddy had a narrow escape on Satur-day night as a gas cylinder exploded when he was inspecting the site of a fire at Nimboliadda in Kacheguda. Mr Kishan Reddy had rushed to the spot immediately after hearing of a blast in the area.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and five others were injured when they fell from a wall from where they were watching hutments on fire. The hutments caught fire following twin blasts at an adjacent illegal gas filling station.

The victims gathered at the spot after hearing the initial blasts. Among the injured, the condition of two is critical, doctors at Osmania General Hospital said. At least 15 huts were damaged. Police officials said that the gas filling station and the huts that caught fire on Saturday are illegal. Locals said that the gas filling station has been operating in the area for many months now.

As the fire spread in the area, three fire tenders from Musheerabad, Malakpet and Maula Ali reached at the spot and engaged in fire fighting. “One cylinder exploded while I was at the spot. Few people standing on the temple wall fell down to the ground in the panic and got injured,” BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy told the media.

“One person was killed and five others were injured, when they fell down from a temple wall near the blast site. After the first blast, many locals gathered at the spot and climbed a nearby temple wall to watch. When the next blast took place, all of them fell and got injured. One of them who had sustained serious injuries succumbed on the way to hospital,” said Kachiguda ACP Ranjan Ratan Kumar.

Home minister Nayani Narsimha Reddy who visited the spot said, soon after the blast said that stringent action would be taken against such illegal stations. “We will check such illegal refilling stations which have cropped up in residential areas. Action will be initiated against the accused,”

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who is in Delhi expressed grief over the incident and directed officials and ministers to provide all help to the victims. He said the persons responsible will be punished.