The Tripura government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the explosion at a multi-storey apartment on Ramnagar Road No. 4 in Agartala that claimed one life, even as Chief Minister Manik Saha indicated that preliminary findings suggest possible negligence on the part of the Tripura Natural Gas Company Limited (TNGCL).
The explosion occurred at around 12:30 pm on June 25. Subhrajit Chowdhury, who sustained critical burn injuries in the blast, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at GB Pant Hospital on Friday.
According to an order issued by the Urban Development Department, the inquiry committee will be headed by the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. Other members include the Director of Fire and Emergency Services, the Municipal Commissioner of the Agartala Municipal Corporation, the Superintendent of Police of West Tripura, and the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (Buildings).
The committee has been directed to submit its report to the state government within seven days. The order was issued by Dr. Tamal Majumdar, IAS, Special Secretary and Director of Fire and Emergency Services.
Speaking to reporters, the victim’s wife, Reshmi Saha, said her husband had informed her about a suspected leakage from the piped natural gas connection before the explosion.
“My husband told me there was a gas leak from the piped gas line. The blast occurred at the office where he worked. He was offering prayers with incense sticks when the explosion took place. It may have been caused by the leaking gas,” she said.
Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the blast site on Friday and described the incident as tragic. Expressing condolences to the bereaved family, he assured that the state government would provide compensation to those affected.
The Chief Minister said preliminary investigations indicate that a gas pipeline connected to the building may have been left open, leading to the accumulation of gas inside the premises. The gas is believed to have ignited when the victim lit an incense stick during prayers, triggering the explosion.
Saha said Chowdhury had suffered nearly 90 per cent burn injuries and later died while undergoing treatment at GB Pant Hospital.
He assured that a detailed investigation is underway and said accountability would be fixed. Strict action, he added, would be taken against anyone found responsible for the incident.
