Oxygen cylinders fly on road as fire burns down godown at Kankurgachi; locals report multiple blasts

A horrifying fire broke out at a medical oxygen cylinder godown in Kankurgachi’s Lohapatti area during the early hours of Thursday. The incident began around 2:30 am at 150 Ghoshbagan Lane, where a series of massive explosions woke up the entire neighborhood. Local residents reported that the sound of over 100 cylinders bursting was so intense that it could be heard nearly two kilometers away, and the resulting tremors shattered windows of nearby houses.

The situation turned chaotic as burning cylinders were propelled into the air like missiles, landing several hundred meters away. One such cylinder crashed into a yarn factory, while the fire also spread to an adjacent plastic and iron godown. Witnesses described a terrifying 25-minute period of continuous blasts that sent debris flying onto roads and rooftops, causing widespread panic in the densely populated locality.

A massive firefighting operation was launched, with 15 fire engines and disaster management teams rushing to the spot. After hours of intense struggle, the blaze was brought under control by dawn. While the structure's roof was completely blown away and the premises were gutted, officials confirmed that there have been no reports of casualties so far. The removal of burnt tin sheets is currently underway to prevent any pocket fires from reigniting.

MLA Supti Pandey visited the site to oversee the situation and interact with affected residents. Authorities have initiated a high-level investigation to determine the exact cause of the initial explosion. A primary focus of the probe will be to verify whether the godown possessed a valid license and if mandatory fire-extinguishing systems were installed and functional at the time of the disaster.