BLAST RIPS THROUGH NAVELIM FLAT
Margao police rule out possibility of bomb explosion
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, FEB 24
A high intensity blast has ripped through a residential flat at Mandopa-Navelim in the wee hours of Thursday, but the Margao police have categorically ruled out any explosive substance behind the blast.
That the blast was of high intensity was evident by the fact that the damaged doors and windows of the flat – owned by Tauseef Sayed — located on the first floor of the ground-plus two storey building landed 50-100 metres away from the site. The laterite kitchen loft also came crashing down while the grills of the gallery were flung nearly 20-30 meters away from the building.
The Margao police deployed bomb disposal squad around noon, but the team did not find any remnants of explosive substances inside. Margao PI Santosh Desai said the explosion vapour device also did not spot any suspended explosives particles in the flat, ruling out the possibility of a bomb blast.
The window panes of the ground floor flat owned by Frankie Goes were left damaged, while cracks were visible on the walls in the living room. The blast woke up the residents of the buildings and the loud sound was heard nearly a kilometre away, residents claimed.
There were no inmates occupying the flat at the time of the incident as the Sayed family was away in Bangalore since the last four days, attending a marriage ceremony.
The LPG cylinder was found intact while the gas stove was flung outside the building. The regulator of the cylinder was found on the switch on position, suspecting gas leakage.
The living room of the flat bore the brunt of the fire as almost everything inside the hall, including the TV set, were left damaged.
The entrance door of the flat had landed on the stair case, blocking the entry and exit into the building. The incident left the residents of the housing complex panicky, before the fire brigade rushed in to extinguish the fire inside the flat.
Director of Fire Services Ashok Menon told newsmen after inspecting the premises that nothing can be concluded at the moment as the police, Electricity Department, besides fire officials will conduct the inquiry.
He, however, said that the LPG gas could be the cause behind the blast as case studies showed similar blasts in the past. “If LPG forms a clout in a closed room, even a minor spark is enough to trigger a blast. This had happened in the Caranzalem blast”, he said, adding “we can come to the conclusion only after ascertaining when the cylinder was put to use by the flat owner. A cylinder need not burst to trigger a blast. A leaking gas cylinder is enough to cause an explosion if there is a spark”, he added.
Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Prakash Parab, who inspected the flat, said that all angles will have to be probed into, including gas leakage as the suspected cause of the explosion. “There is no doubt that the blast was of high intensity. In the past, leaking LPG had the cause of such explosions, but it requires detailed investigations”, he said.
“We will have to inspect the cylinder to ascertain when it was filled, how many days used to give us a lead in the investigations. The fire services are waiting for the owner Tauseef to return from Bangalore to answer these queries”, he said.
The theft angle has also come into play as the cupboards and drawers were found open.
Margao PI Santosh Desai, however, said that the owner has telephonically told the police that there were no valuables left inside the flat as they had left for Bangalore for a wedding ceremony.
The Margao police have also been told to investigate into the incident since the cupboards and drawers of the flat were found open inside.
The fire services have written to the Electricity Department to ascertain the exact cause of fire.
