BERHAMPUR: Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed at Gahanu village under Aska block, as the family of Simanchal Parida, who is believed to have died in the petrol pump explosion in Bhubaneswar, performed his last rites in a symbolical manner.
The body of Simanchal is yet to be traced and from the mutilated body parts traced after the blast, he is believed to have died.
The funeral pyre was prepared at the cremation ground in Gahangu village, wherein a bundle of straw was placed as a symbol of Simanchal and consigned to flames.
Parida was one of the three persons from Ganjam district present on the spot on Wednesday. The other two, Sadananda Nayak and Harsabardhan Srivastav, were admitted to the hospital with critical injuries.
While Nayak succumbed to his injuries at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Srivastava is battling for his life in the hospital. Medical Emergency Officer of SCB MCH Bhubanananda Moharana said Nayak had suffered 60 pc burn injuries on his head and chest in the blast.
After the mishap, Simanchal’s family searched the spot and also visited different hospitals in the State Capital to look for him.
The police recovered his wallet and ATM card along with mutilated limbs, which are yet to be confirmed as his. However, presuming him to be dead, Parida’s family conducted his last rites symbolically.
The filling station, where the mishap happened, is located across Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. Such was the impact of the explosion that glass window panels of Government quarters and flats located in 100-metre radius were shattered. Near the mishap scene, rescue teams found shoes and bloodstains. Two-wheelers and cars which were at the petrol pump sustained damage.
The mishap occurred at about 1.25 pm. The deafening sound of the explosion could be heard several kilometres away.
There was chaos at the spot as people at the petrol pump tried to escape the spot.“Such was the sound that it left me deaf for a few minutes. Chunks of our roof fell on us as we were having lunch,” said a person who lives near the filling station.
Initial investigation revealed that the explosion took place at LPG tank leaving a small crater-like ditch at the filling station premises.