In one shocking rain related incident, 3,000 LPG cylinders were washed away by Mumbai floodwaters. As torrential rainfall continues to pound financial capital, a major industrial emergency struck the area after the protective wall of the HPCL LPG bottling plant collapsed due to heavy downpour in Raigad.
A video is doing rounds on social media showing scores of LPG gas cylinders floating in the Patalganga River on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. The river swelled following to incessant rains in the Khalapur taluka. The incident reportedly happened at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) plant situated in Chavane, Panvel taluka.
Internet reacts
A social media user wrote, “Straight out of Pushpa movie, except it's not sandalwood, it's LPG cylinders. A flash #flood in #Raigad, #Maharashtra swept away hundreds of empty HPCL LPG cylinders after heavy rain sent torrents of water into the plant at Chavane village.”
“3,000 gas cylinders in a river. The advisory tells the public not to touch them. Fair enough. The harder question sits upstream: how does a bottling plant flood so easily that its yard empties into the water?” another remarked.
A third commented, “This scene reminds me of Pushpa Movie.” A fourth mentioned, “How careless.”
Khalapur Police Inspector (PI) Abhijit Bhujbal confirmed the incident to ANI. Following the mishap, the district administration issued an urgent appeal to the public to exercise extreme caution.
Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale also issued a statement in this regard, warning residents living along the riverbanks. "If any gas cylinder is spotted in the river or along its banks, do not touch it under any circumstances, nor should any attempt be made to move it or take it home," ANI quoted the Collector as saying.
What did the administration say?
The Raigad district information office posted on X. “Important Alert | Raigad. Due to heavy rainfall, approximately 3,000 LPG cylinders (filled and empty) have been washed away into the Patalganga River from the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant (Chawne, Panvel).— District Collector Kishan Javale.”
“Citizens should not keep such cylinders with them or attempt to use them if found. They should immediately deposit them at HPCL, the nearest HPCL dealer, the Tehsildar office (Khalapur/Pen), or the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Pen,” it added.
The administration stressed the serious danger posed by the missing cylinders, saying their technical condition and gas content cannot be determined after being swept away by the floods. It warned that any attempt to handle or tamper with the cylinders could trigger a major gas leak or explosion, posing a significant threat to life and property.
"Currently, a search operation for the missing cylinders is being carried out by the administration, the Disaster Management Department, and the concerned company," the administration said.
Authorities have advised residents to stay away from any suspicious cylinders and immediately inform the local police or the Disaster Management Department if they spot one. Search teams are continuing to track the flow of the Patalganga River in an effort to recover the missing cylinders and avert any potential accidents.
