Gas pipeline blast kills two people and injures several others in India

A gas pipeline blast in the Indian state of Gujarat has killed two people and injured at least four others.

The incident in Kalol, Gandhinagar, has also destroyed two properties in the residential area.

The cause of the blast could not be immediately ascertained. A preliminary probe indicates that the explosion was caused after cooking gas leaked from a pipeline at a society in Panchvati, reported Hindustan Times.

Gandhinagar official Kuldeep Arya was quoted by Reuters as saying: “We still don’t know the cause of the blast.

“There is an old ONGC pipeline in the area but it has been unused since 2015.”

However, ONGC later clarified that it is not the operator of the pipeline.

A statement said: “An unfortunate gas leakage took place at around 9:30am today in a gas pipeline in a residential area near ONGC’s Kalol field.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, ONGC Ahmedabad Asset is in touch with the State Government Machinery for fire and safety support.

“ONGC fire tenders have rushed to the spot and ONGC, Crisis Management Team has been instructed to be on standby for any kind of exigency and support.”

In September, an ONGC-owned gas processing plant in Surat, Gujarat, was hit by three consecutive explosions causing a major fire.