Agartala blast victim dies as state probes gas leak

Agartala: Subhrajit Chowdhury died Friday at GB Pant Hospital. He suffered burns over 90 percent of his body. The educator ran a coaching center in an Agartala apartment at Shankar Chowmuhani. A massive explosion gutted the unit on Thursday.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the site and blamed a faulty piped natural gas connection. Officials suspect gas escaped from an open, unused line that remained pressurized. The blast likely ignited when Chowdhury struck an incense stick.

Saha criticized the maintenance of the utility network. "The exact cause would be established through a detailed investigation, and responsibility would be fixed on those found negligent," the Chief Minister said. Plans to transfer the victim to Kolkata for better care failed as he died before departure.

The state government launched a high-level inquiry to probe the negligence. The Urban Development Department Secretary leads the panel. Experts from the police, fire services, and municipal corporation must return findings within seven days.