Cylinder blast: 4 more dead, toll 7

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, October 23

Five days after a cylinder blast at a house in Sector 10 here, four more people, including two brothers, succumbed to their burn injuries at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh, and Fortis Hospital, Mohali, today. With these deaths, the toll has risen to seven.

Eight persons had sustained serious burn injuries in the incident on the eve of Diwali on October 18. All seven who were hospitalised are now dead. Only one woman, Dayawanti, grandmother of the two brothers who died today, is getting treatment at home.

Among those who died today were 22-year-old Anmol Garg, his elder brother Pranshu Garg (24), 30-year-old Jignesh Thanki and 62-year-old Raj Kumar Singhal.

While Anmol and his elder brother Pranshu were residing in house number 703, Jignesh was staying in a rented accommodation in house number 704, Sector 10. Raj Kumar Singhal was a resident of house number 707 in Sector 10.

Anmol and Jignesh died at the GMCH whereas Raj Kumar Singhal and Pranshu died late at night at Fortis Hospital in Mohali.

Area residents said Anmol had just completed his computer science degree from the PEC University of Technology whereas his elder brother Pranshu was a banker in Mumbai. Pranshu had come to Panchkula to meet his family members on Diwali.

Jignesh Thanki, who was from Porbandar in Gujarat, was working as a manager in an IT firm, while Raj Kumar Singhal was a former manager of a steel firm. The first death was reported two days after the blast on October 20 when a retired principal of a government school in Zirakpur, Hem Raj Sharma (70), succumbed to his burn injuries at the GMCH. He was staying in house number 704.

On October 22, Ram Chander Sharma (70), who retired from the Punjab State Electricity Board as a senior accountant, died at the GMCH. He was a resident of house number 701 in Sector 10. The same day, Ajit Chaudhary (38), owner of house number 702, where the blast took place on October 18, also died.

Four persons succumbed to their injuries today.

Blow for Garg family

TC Garg, a commerce professor at Government College, Sector 42, Chandigarh, lost both his sons on Monday. His younger son Anmol Garg (22) and elder son Pranshu Garg (24) succumbed to their injuries. Garg’s wife had died some years ago. Garg’s mother Dayawanti, who sustained burn injuries, is getting treatment at home.

Last get-together

Anmol Garg, who had got his degree at the PEC convocation last week, had a get-together with his friends just an hour before the blast. He met his friends at a coffee shop in Sector 11, Panchkula, on the evening of October 18. In 2016, he did his internship with Amazon. He was fond of travelling.

Pall of gloom in neighbourhood

A pall of gloom descended on the neighbourhood. Anmol’s mortal remains were carried out of his house number 703 for the last rites. The residents are in shock and disbelief that a cylinder blast has killed seven people in their neighbourhood.

Blast on Diwali eve 

On the evening of October 18, Ajit Chaudhary had gone to the market with his wife and children when he was informed about leakage of cooking gas at his house. The cylinder exploded as soon as he opened the door of the house. Eight persons, including a woman, suffered injuries in the blast. The front portion of the house also collapsed. A youth was trapped in the debris, but was saved. A dog was also trapped, which was saved by the police the next day.