Massive Explosion Blows 3-Storey Building In Balasore; Tenant Missing

Balasore: A deafening explosion ripped through a three-storeyed building at Achyutpur village under Industrial Area Police Station here late last night.

According to sources, a powerful blast hit the residence of one Kalicharan Mohapatra at around 12.30 am. While Kalicharan and his family members who stay in the ground floor of the building, another family from Bihar staying in the second floor are reportedly safe.

However, Sridhar Mohanty, a resident of Baliapal area who worked as a mason while staying in the second floor of the building since last two years has been missing after the incident.

“We woke up suddenly after hearing the loud explosion in the building. The blast was so huge that the topmost floor is completely destroyed and some concrete debris also hit another house and some vehicles parked nearby,” said a local.

The inspector-in-charge of the Industrial Area Police Station visited the house and inquired into the incident. Although the exact reason behind the blast is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that firecrackers or LPG cylinder have triggered the blast.

“We learnt about the incident today morning. We are inquiring into it. Either the blast was triggered by firecracker explosion or cooking gas cylinder blast,” said IIC Jayant Kumar Behera.