A powerful explosion shook the Gobarsahi area of Muzaffarpur in Bihar around noon on Monday after an underground PNG gas pipeline was damaged during drain construction work, sparking a gas leak and a fire. The incident took place in the Gobarsahi-Dumri area, in Shrinagar Colony under the Sadar police station limits, where excavation for an underground drain was under way.

Source: The Daily Jagran

According to the initial reports, a JCB earthmover working on the drain struck the pipeline. Gas began leaking rapidly and a blast followed, sending residents running out of their homes in panic. Police and fire brigade teams reached the spot, relief and rescue work began, and people were moved away from the immediate area as a precaution.

Toll not yet officially confirmed

The Daily Jagran and The New Indian Express reported one person killed, with the injured count put at between four and seven in early reports. The district administration, however, urged caution on the figures. SDM (East) Anand Utsav said the administration could not provide confirmation on deaths yet, and that three people had been reported seriously injured and were undergoing treatment. “According to the information received, a leak in the gas pipeline led to an explosion, resulting in damage. We are currently investigating the incident, and relief and rescue operations are underway,” he said.

Source: The Daily Jagran (SDM statement)

Local reports said the blast was heard up to about three kilometres away. Dozens of nearby houses were damaged, with walls cracked and windowpanes shattered, and at least one multi-storey building was reported badly hit. One critically injured person was being treated at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, according to NewsX ground reports.

Source: NewsX

Questions over digging permissions

Early reporting has raised questions about whether the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the pipeline agency was obtained before excavation began near the live gas line — a point that has not been officially confirmed and is expected to be part of the inquiry. Union minister Raj Bhushan Choudhary assured action against those found guilty, NewsX reported. Officials said the investigation into how the pipeline came to be struck is continuing.