9 killed in Rajasthan LPG cylinder blast

At least nine persons have been killed and 18 others injured after two LPG cylinders exploded at a wedding function in Beawar in Rajasthan's Ajmer district, police said.

The incident took place on late Friday night. According to police, six persons were referred to a hospital in Ajmer while 12 were referred to the district hospital in Beawar.

Police said one Surendra Kumar Parecha had organised wedding celebrations at Kumavat Samaj Bhavan in Beawar for his son's wedding.

The guests were staying in a double-storey building. Suddenly, there was a loud blast which brought the entire building down like a pack of cards.

According to some eyewitnesses, the cook was trying to refill the empty LPG cylinder from other cylinder. That caused a fire and it resulted in an explosion.

Post mortems are being done and the bodies are being handed over to their respective families. The groom's mother is also missing.

The search for bodies is underway and once all bodies are found, police will begin an investigation into what led to the blast, an official said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has expressed condolences over the incident and called it tragic.

She wished a speedy recovery to the injured and prayed for peace to the departed souls.

--IANS

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