Cops smell suicide bid in Kothrud LPG leak and blast

Explosion after cylinder pipe leak leaves young woman with 40 pc burns

Akanksha Urkade, living as a paying guest in Kothrud, sustained over 40 per cent burns when the gas cylinder pipe in her flat leaked yesterday and led to a blast.

The deafening explosionu00a0 shook residents of Kothrud near Hotel Sheetal out of their routine at 10.30 am and, rushing out, they saw the windowpanes on the third floor of Madhav Hari apartments shattered.

The neighbours found Urkade on the staircase with serious wounds.

Urkade had been living with three female roommates at Madhav Hari apartments for three years. Hailing from Bhilai in Chhattisgad, she had completed her master's degree and was reportedly frustrated because she was jobless.

The police suspect a suicideu00a0 bid, but are treading with caution in the case. ASI Pratap Randiwe of the Kothrud police station said Urkade was only saying that "her act was done" under mental pressure. "We are not filing a case of attempt to suicide unless the girl gives more details," he said.

Urkade was admitted to Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital for initial treatment and subsequently to the burns ward at the Surya Hospital.

Flat owner Mahendra Chhajed said Urkade had opened the cylinder pipe and tried to burn some papers, which caused the explosion.

PMC Fire Officer Gajanan Paturkar said it was fortunate that it was not a cylinder explosion but only leakage from the gas pipe. Paturkar said the gas spread about the flat and was ignited by sparks.

"The kitchen windowpanes were shattered and pieces of glass lay 50 feet away on the nearby road," he said.