A gas leak from an unattended tank in Pune’s Kondhwa area led to the hospitalisation of 26 people early Thursday, including two fire brigade officials. The incident occurred around 12:30am near Aai Mata Mandir, close to Gangadham Chowk. The Bibvewadi police reported that the steel tank had corroded over time, developing a hole on Wednesday night that caused the leak.
Details of the Incident
The affected individuals included 24 residents of Saibabanagar in Kondhwa and two fire brigade personnel. They complained of symptoms such as breathlessness, cough, dizziness, vomiting, throat irritation, and eye irritation. All were taken to Sassoon General Hospital and a health facility in Dhankawdi. Medical officials confirmed that all patients are stable and likely to be discharged by Friday morning.
Fire Brigade Response
The fire brigade received a call at 12:50am about a gas cylinder leak. A team from Gangadham fire station, comprising five officers and about 30 firefighters, responded with four fire tenders. Initially, they could not immediately identify the source of the leak. Following the foul smell, they traced it to a tank in an open plot, which was later sealed.
Two fire brigade personnel fell ill while detecting the source. City fire brigade chief Devendra Potphode stated, “Fire station officer Sunil Naiknaware and fireman Dhananjay Bhise were hospitalised. They are out of danger.” The crew used breathing apparatus to evacuate residents and applied water and caustic soda to suppress the gas.
Investigation and Legal Action
The police revealed that the abandoned tank contained poly aluminium chloride gas and belonged to a 73-year-old businessman who supplies chemicals to industrial units. The tank, weighing 900kg, had been left on the open plot for several years without proper safety measures.
Asfaq Rashid Sayyed (33), a resident of Saibabanagar, filed a complaint against the businessman and his manager. The Bibvewadi police registered a case under sections 286 (negligent handling of poisonous substances) and 125 (rash acts endangering life) of the BNS.
Police Statement
Senior inspector Tejasvini Satpute of the Bibvewadi police said, “The businessman had kept the tank in the open plot a few years ago. He was negligent about safety measures because the tank contained harmful substances. After delivering gas to a company, the tank was brought to the open plot and left unattended. A significant volume of poly aluminium chloride residue remained inside. Over time, the steel tank corroded, and a hole developed on Wednesday night, causing the leak.”
She added that two employees and a manager at the plot were unaffected due to wind direction. The poisonous gas drifted towards Saibabanagar, where residents woke up experiencing breathlessness.
Resident Account
Aziz Khan, a resident of Saibabanagar, said, “I came home around 10:30pm, and we went to sleep after dinner. I suddenly woke up around 1am because I was unable to breathe. I woke up my family members, and we all ran to the open road near Aai Mata Mandir. This quick action saved us from being hospitalised.”
Officials from the Disaster Management Cell, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, and the industrial safety and health department visited the site. The Bibvewadi police collected samples from the tank for chemical analysis.
