200 LPG cylinders explode after Varanasi rescue op goes wrong

Varanasi: Loud explosions ripped the air in Mehdiganj in Varanasi when over 200 LPG cylinders exploded one by one between 3.30 am and 5 am on Saturday. 

    Natives of Rakhanua village were evacuated as a precaution. Eyewitness said the cylinders could be seen going up in the air upto 500 metres. SP (Rural) Harish Kumar said the movement of vehicles on GT road was thin and so a major tragedy was averted. According to eyewitnesses and police, a truck carrying computer printer ink stopped along the highway tocheck tyres when a truck loaded with LPG cylinders also arrived there. The driver of cylinder-laden truck lost control and hit the inkladen truck from the rear side. Though Vimal survived, the truck's cleaner, Karan Pasi (18) was trapped between the iron grills of the two trucks. 
    The police tried to rescue Kamal by cutting the iron grills but, in this bid, the ink caught fire. About 200 cylinders exploded while 100 cylinders loaded on the truck were damaged badly. The fire fighters swung into action again after the cylinders stopped exploding.

The fire erupted after cops used a cutter to rescue a truck cleaner