Gas cylinder blast kills one in Orissa

A man was killed and three others seriously injured on Friday when a cooking gas cylinder exploded in a house in Orissa's Balasore district, the police said.

The blast occurred when Sujit Jena, a mechanic, was trying to connect a rubber pipe to the gas cylinder in the house of Abdus Syed in Balasore town, some 200 kms from Bhubaneswar, a senior district police official told IANS.

Abdul Raif, the 65-year-old father of Abdus, died on the spot, while Abdus, his wife and the technician sustained serious injuries, the official said.

All the injured were admitted to the city government hospital and their condition is stated to be critical.