Videos of LPG cylinders floating in a river after being swept away by floodwaters in Maharashtra have surfaced on social media. It was triggered by severe waterlogging at a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited bottling plant.
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The videos that are going viral also show locals risking their lives to collect the cylinders from the raging waters.
“Due to heavy rainfall in the area, approximately 3,000 LPG cylinders (some filled with gas and some empty) were washed away from the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant, located at Plot No. E-1/7, Additional MIDC, Chawane, Patalganga, Taluka Panvel, District Raigad, and drifted into the Patalganga River,” district information officer of Raigad district told hindustantimes.com.
The spokesperson added, “The district administration appeals to any citizens who find these LPG cylinders to immediately hand them over to HPCL, the nearest HPCL dealer, the Tahsildar’s Office at Khalapur, the Tahsildar’s Office at Pen, or the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Pen.”
Take a look at the video:
How did social media react?
The video prompted a series of reactions on social media, with many questioning how such a large bottling plant could be flooded.
An individual posted, “We faced LPG gas issues recently due to the state of Hormuz. Now LPGs are floating on the Patalganga River.” Another commented, “3,000 gas cylinders in a river. The advisory tells the public not to touch them. Fair enough. The harder question sits upstream: how does a bottling plant flood so easily that its yard empties into the water?”
A third expressed, “This scene reminds me of Pushpa Movie.” A fourth wrote, “How careless.”
According to reports, Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale has appealed to locals not to approach any LPG cylinder found floating in the river or washed up on the banks. Jawale further urged people not to pick up or take home any of the LPG cylinders.
Tweets were also shared from the official X account of the Raigad district information office. “Important Alert | Raigad. Due to heavy rainfall, approximately 3,000 LPG cylinders (filled and empty) have been washed away into the Patalganga River from the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant (Chawne, Panvel).— District Collector Kishan Javale.”
The X post continued, “Citizens should not keep such cylinders with them or attempt to use them if found. They should immediately deposit them at HPCL, the nearest HPCL dealer, the Tehsildar office (Khalapur/Pen), or the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Pen.”
