10 injured in Hyderabad LPG shop blast amid renewed safety concerns

HYDERABAD: At least 10 people were injured when a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder exploded at a shop in Latifabad Unit 11 late on Monday night, in the second such incident reported in Hyderabad within two days.

The blast occurred at an LPG outlet in a densely populated part of the city and once again drew attention to the continued presence of unsafe and illegal fuel handling practices. The latest incident has also revived concerns in Hyderabad, where a major explosion two years ago left 27 people dead.

Eyewitness Fareed Khan, a 43-year-old rickshaw driver, said he was standing outside the shop at the time of the explosion. According to him, around 20 to 25 cylinders had been placed there for refilling. "I saw the salesperson releasing pressure from a refilling valve when suddenly there was a deafening blast," he said describing the moments before the explosion.

Rescue 1122 initially responded to the incident. The injured suffered burns ranging from 6 per cent to 17 per cent, while at least four people sustained burns to the face. Three of those hurt were teenagers.

Two men identified as 28-year-old Zabiullah Tur Khan and 25-year-old Amjad Shamsuddin were said to be in critical condition and were admitted for treatment.

Officials order action

According to an official statement, Deputy Commissioner Memon directed strict action against illegal storage and sale of LPG in populated localities. The statement said he warned that cases would be registered against those found violating the law.

Senior Superintendent of Police Chachar also announced what he described as zero tolerance for illegal LPG-related activity. He said daily enforcement operations would be carried out and serious violations would face strict legal action.

Despite these assurances, residents expressed doubt that the crackdown would be sustained, pointing to a pattern in which enforcement follows major incidents but later weakens, allowing the trade to resume.

Series of deadly incidents

The May 30, 2024 explosion in Paretabad remains one of the deadliest such incidents in Hyderabad. That blast killed 27 people, including many children who were studying at a seminary.

After that tragedy, the district administration sealed a number of LPG outlets and introduced standard operating procedures. These included mandatory licensing through the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and compliance with safety requirements. However, illegal decanting later resumed, and LPG continued to be sold openly for use in rickshaws, cars and passenger vans.

On June 16, 2025, a 10-year-old boy, Umer Hussain, died after suffering critical burns in an LPG shop explosion in the Islamabad Chowk area. In another incident on December 9, 2025, a passenger van caught fire while being refuelled at a CNG station, killing HESCO employee Abdul Majeed Abbassi and his 12-year-old son.

Other incidents cited in the city include a similar fire on Hyderabad Bypass on November 24, 2025, and a major blaze at a CNG station on January 30 this year, when a container carrying LNG cylinders caught fire, destroying the facility and killing an employee. Separately, eight people were killed in an explosion at an illegally operating fireworks factory on November 15, 2025.

The latest blast has again underscored the risks posed by unsafe fuel storage and refilling practices in residential areas of Hyderabad.