A devastating gas cylinder blast in Jodhpur’s Gulabsagar area claimed two lives, including a 14-month-old child, and left 14 others with burn injuries on Monday evening. Two children remain in critical condition following the incident.
The tragedy occurred at approximately 4:30 PM in the home of Mohammad Sattar Chauhan, located near Miyan ki Masjid in the inner city. According to reports, the explosion was triggered by a gas leak while food was being prepared.
The fire quickly spread through kitchen and adjacent room and filled the 3-storeyed house with smoke, causing the deaths of a 19-year-old girl and a 14-month-old baby.
Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar reported that Sadia, one of the victims, had been planning to undertake the Umrah pilgrimage and had already packed for the journey. The family was scheduled to fly on April 10.
Mohammad Imran Khilji, a relative told Hindi daily that his aunt’s house and her daughter Sadia had been studying Alima (Islamic education). He mentioned that Sadia had been observing purdah (veil) since she was 11 years old.
At the time of the incident, Sadia was praying on the second floor of the house. Family members had been searching for her for two hours as her condition deteriorated due to smoke inhalation.
She managed to call her uncle and inform him of her location. The fire brigade team, along with Sadia’s uncle and Khilji, rushed to rescue her.
Initially, Sadia walked out of the room, but then remembered she had forgotten her hijab. When she went back to retrieve it, a burning door collapsed on her. Though rescuers managed to remove the door and get her out, she tragically succumbed to her injuries while being transported to the hospital in an ambulance.
