KRISHNAGIRI: With two LPG cylinders intact, there is speculation on what caused the blast in the firecracker shop at Palayapettai on Saturday which left nine people dead. While police claimed that the blast happened due to the explosion of an LPG cylinder in a hotel, the hotel owner claimed that the cylinder is intact.
The husband of the hotel owner where the alleged cylinder blast took place triggering an explosion in the firecracker shop nearby has submitted a petition to the district administration denying the claims and demanded action against the building owner of the shop who levelled the charge on Wednesday.
In his petition, S Balamurugan (52) stated that the hotel was run by his wife Rajeswari in the building owned by Mariya Bakkiyam. “Mariya’s son Antony Arockiyaraj lodged a police complaint stating that a cylinder blast at the hotel led to the explosion in the firecracker shop. But this is not true. Out of two cylinders in the hotel, one is intact and is with us while the other one is in the possession of police. Action should be taken against Antony for spreading false information.”
According to sources, officials would forward the petition to police. Antony told TNIE that only the hotel was visible from his workshop and hence he lodged a complaint stating that the blast could have happened in the hotel.
Meanwhile, sources in the gas agency which delivered LPG cylinders to the hotel, opined that the cylinder had not exploded. “If a cylinder explodes, there will be carbon deposit on it. But carbon formation has not been found on the cylinder. Also, there is no colour change in the tube connecting the cylinder with the stove. Thus, there is no possibility of cylinder blast,” he told TNIE. Police held inquiries with the LPG cylinder supplying agents in Krishnagiri on Wednesday.
Further, sources said some pieces of iron rods were found in the vicinity around the blast site triggering speculation that they could have been used in the shop to manufacture illegal explosives. Police sources told TNIE that the forensic team has collected samples of various items, including iron rods, from the area and the report is expected soon.
‘No carbon deposit’
Sources at the gas agency that delivered LPG cylinders to the hotel said the cylinder had not exploded. “If a cylinder explodes, there will be carbon deposit on it. But carbon formation has not been found on the cylinder. Also, there is no colour change in the tube connecting the cylinder with the stove,” they said.