Itahari, Dec 14: A powerful explosion rocked the Hatkhola market area in Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City- 1, Sunsari district last night. Six people have been critically injured in the incident. The blast has also completely damaged six shutters at a two-storeyed house.

Police started investigation into the explosion immediately after the incident and suspect that the explosion was due to the leakage of many cooking gas cylinders at once which started a fire.

Deputy Superintendent Om Adhikari at the Area Police Office Itahari said that further investigation into the incident is underway.

Those critically injured in the incident are 30-year-old Pawan Chaudhary, his brother Sanjaya Chaudhary, 28, his wife Puja Chaudhary, 26, Pawan's next brother Rahul Chaudhary, 25, and Rahul's wife Anu Chaudhary, 23. Similarly, the Chaudhary's helper who goes by the name Maila was also seriously injured.

All the injured are undergoing treatment at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Dharan. Among them, Anu is said to be very critical.

The explosion was so strong that even houses upto a periphery of 500 metres from the site shook, locals said.

It is learnt the Chaudhary brothers had been operating cooking gas filling plant from their house since long. They used to fill up small cylinders from the place. RSS