Bengaluru: Six members of a family, including four children, suffered serious burn injuries after a fireball explosion due to the leakage of liquefied petroleum gas from a domestic cylinder at their rented house in Vinayaka Layout, Nayandahalli, in west Bengaluru, in the early hours of Friday.Based on the primary investigation, police said the incident occurred between 6.30am and 7am, when the gas reportedly leaked from the cylinder as the stove was being lit and suddenly caught fire, engulfing the house and injuring Karilingappa, 40, his wife Lakshmamma, 43, and their four children — 11-year-old Chaitra, nine-year-old Basava, and three-year-old twins Geetha and Girija.The force of the explosion sent household articles flying across the room, while the loud explosion jolted neighbours awake. On rushing to the spot, neighbours found the house engulfed in flames. They pulled the injured out and helped rush all six to the burns ward at Victoria Hospital.On receiving information about the incident, Chandra Layout police and fire and emergency personnel reached the spot and doused the fire.The family was living in a house measuring 10×10 square feet, with a hall and small kitchen covered by an asphaltic sheet roof. Lakshmamma went to light the stove carrying one of the twins. Since the gas had leaked overnight, the explosion occurred. Karilingappa and the three other children were still sleeping in the hall.Lakshmamma has reportedly suffered burns over 70% of her body, while Karilingappa sustained around 45% burns. The condition of Lakshmamma and the four children is said to be critical.
