A tragic incident occurred in Pune's Wagholi area on Friday morning when an LPG gas leak led to a devastating explosion and fire, claiming the lives of a 35-year-old private company employee and his elderly parents. The victims were identified as Pandurang Gitte, his father Vishnu (80), and mother Vrindavani (70).
Miraculous Escape of Six-Year-Old Girl
Pandurang's six-year-old daughter, Niharika, had a miraculous escape. She jumped from the balcony of their single-storey house and was safely caught by the tenant, Tanaji Botule, who was also Pandurang's friend. Botule was playing with his daughter in the parking area when he heard the whistling sound of a gas leak around 9:15 am. He immediately instructed Niharika to jump, catching her safely. She sustained burns on her back and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Wife Unhurt in Bathroom
Pandurang's wife, Rajashri, was in the bathroom when the explosion occurred and remained unhurt. She managed to cover herself with a shawl and came down safely after screaming for help from the bedroom window.
Hospitalization and Deaths
Senior police inspector Sanjay Chavan of the Kharadi police station stated that Pandurang and his parents were admitted to Sassoon General Hospital with 100% burns. Pandurang died immediately after being hospitalized, while his parents succumbed to their injuries later in the evening.
Details of the Incident
The Gitte family resided on the first floor of their house in Khandvenagar, having rented out the ground floor to Botule. Pandurang was employed with a private health technology company in Pune. According to fire officer Pradip Sonawane of the Pune fire brigade, four fire tenders from Kharadi, Dhanori, Yerawada, and PMRDA fire stations were pressed into service. The team reached the spot and shifted the three severely injured individuals to the hospital.
Cause of Explosion
Sonawane mentioned that Pandurang was changing an empty LPG cylinder with a refilled one. It is suspected that gas leaked during the process, leading to the explosion. The blaze damaged furniture and appliances inside the house. Another fire officer, Dattatreya Satav, noted that the damage was more extensive in the living room, suggesting that Pandurang might have brought the leaking cylinder there. His mother was in the kitchen at the time of the explosion.
