Varanasi (UP), Mar 24: A 30-year-old man and his sister were killed after their house collapsed following a gas cylinder explosion in Varanasi’s Lahartara area on Tuesday, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Neetu Kadyan said the incident occurred at the residence of Girija Devi, where the blast caused the structure to cave in, trapping family members under the debris.
Police, fire services and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the spot and, with the help of locals, rescued Girija Devi, her two sons and a daughter from the rubble. They were immediately taken to the trauma centre of Banaras Hindu University for treatment.
While Girija Devi and one of her sons sustained injuries, her other son Om (30) and daughter Preeti (28) were declared dead, the officer said.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the gas cylinder had been leaking since the night, and it exploded when Girija Devi went to light the stove in the morning, Kadyan said.
Further legal action is being taken in the matter, police added. (PTI)
