Cylinder explodes, wife of CRPF jawan dies

Kolkata: The wife of a CRPF jawan died after a cylinder used for filling up gas balloons exploded during Raising Day celebration of the Central Force under New Township Police Station in Durgapur on Wednesday evening. A number of persons including some children were injured.

Senior officers of CRPF visited the spot soon after the incident and also went to the hospital to take stock of the injured persons.

CRPF personnel has filed a complaint with the New Township Police Station in Durgapur in connection with the incident.

The balloon seller has been detained and the articles that he was using for inflating the balloons have been seized. According to police sources, the 50th Raising Day celebration was going on at the CRPF camp based

in Durgapur.

A fair was also held to commemorate the occasion. At that time, a cylinder that was being used for pumping helium gas in balloons exploded with a loud noise.

More than 20 persons were injured, including some children. They were rushed to a local private hospital where Renu Singh(36), the wife of a CRPF jawan died.

The doctors have, however, said the woman died of a heart attack that resulted due to her terrible fear when the cylinder exploded with a loud noise.

A 15-year-old girl Sunita Kumari suffered serious injuries on her hand. She had an operation on Thursday morning.

"We will conduct a probe to find out how the incident occurred. A police complaint has also been lodged," a senior CRPF officer said.

The balloon seller Subhash Chandra Majhi, a resident of Durgapur Township, has been detained by the police.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that excess gas in the cylinder triggered the explosion.