Jaipur: The collapse of the three-storey commercial building in Bikaner was triggered by a cylinder blast in the structure’s basement, police said on Thursday. They also said that the death toll in the incident has risen to nine.
The number of casualties increased when five more bodies were recovered, and one 17-year-old teenager succumbed to his injuries on Thursday.
The incident took place when a cylinder blast in the basement of the building exploded in Madan Market on Wednesday. The explosion led to the building’s collapse, trapping the occupants under the rubble.
Three bodies were taken out on Wednesday itself.
Comparing the impact of the explosions to that of an airstrike, local jeweller Vikas Soni said that several jewellery stores were damaged, with gold worth lakhs of rupees buried under the debris.
“After hearing the blast, it felt like an air strike. When I reached the market, my shop was also destroyed,” Soni said.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed his condolences and assured swift medical aid.
“The news of the loss of life due to a gas cylinder explosion in Bikaner yesterday is extremely sad and heartbreaking,” Sharma said in a post on X.
He added that the district administration has been engaged in relief and rescue operations, with aid and medical facilities being provided to the injured.
