Varanasi: A 30-year-old man and his sister were killed after a house collapsed following a gas cylinder explosion in the Lahartara area of Varanasi on Tuesday, police said.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Neetu Kadyan, the incident took place at the residence of Girija Devi, where the explosion caused the structure to cave in, trapping several family members under the debris.
Teams from the police, fire services and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local residents, carried out rescue operations and pulled out the victims from the rubble. Girija Devi, her two sons and a daughter were rushed to the trauma centre at Banaras Hindu University for treatment.
While Girija Devi and one of her sons sustained injuries, her other son Om (30) and daughter Preeti (28) were declared dead, officials confirmed.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the gas cylinder had been leaking overnight and exploded when Girija Devi attempted to light the stove in the morning, triggering the collapse of the house.
Police said further legal action is being taken as part of the ongoing investigation.
