BHOPAL: A powerful explosion and subsequent fire at a yet to be inaugurated premier hotel in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur killed a young female employee and injured eight others on Saturday evening.
The 22-year-old woman identified as Jagriti Bhavsar (native of Maharashtra’s Nashik district) died after sustaining severe burns and blast related injuries during the incident which possibly happened during the trial and testing of the gas pipeline supplying fuel to the kitchen on the hotel’s second floor.
Eight others, mostly employees, aged between 21 and 35 years (hailing from MP, Maharashtra, UP, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand) have sustained burns ranging between 20% and 60% and have been hospitalized. One of them is stated to be serious.
The yet to be inaugurated Welcome Hotel whose opening is slated for next month is reportedly owned by the premier ITC Hotels.
According to Jabalpur district police superintendent Aditya Pratap Singh, the blast and resultant fire possibly happened during the testing and trial of the gas pipeline for the kitchen on the second floor.
The blast and fire caused major damage on the second floor. Teams of local police, including the bomb detection and disposal squad (BDDS), are currently engaged in investigations at the spot.
According to informed sources, the possibility of leakage in the gas pipeline during trial and testing, which led to the explosion, cannot be ruled out.
However, one of the injured men, 24-year-old welder Nityanand Gupta, claimed that the mishap happened due to the carelessness of a staffer, who, despite being asked not to switch on the big gas stove, ignited it, while the gas had spread in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, while condoling the death and injuries in the mishap, the MP CM Dr Mohan Yadav announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased woman and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.
“A massive fire has been reported during gas pipeline testing in the kitchen of the under-construction ITC Hotel in Jabalpur. Providing better treatment to the injured in this tragic incident is our priority. The district administration has been directed to make proper arrangements for treatment. Unfortunately, a woman has died untimely in the incident, my condolences to the bereaved family. Financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh will be provided to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured from the Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund. The district administration should ensure that such incidents do not recur and the hotel operators should strictly follow the prescribed norms,” he said.