Two women sustained injuries after a gas leak led to an explosion in a house at Venkatramana Colony in Thadambail here on Wednesday afternoon.

The victims, Vasanti (68) and Pushpa (72), were rushed to a private hospital in Mangaluru with severe burn injuries.

On Wednesday afternoon vasanti went to the kitchen and lighted the stove unaware of the gas leak, causing a sudden flare-up. As the flames spread, Pushpa, who was outside hanging clothes, rushed in to help, only to be caught by the fire herself. The neighbors, hearing their screams, immediately rushed to their aid and managed to pull the victims out of the house.

The fire severely burned Vasanti’s saree and it had to be cut off. Both women suffered burns to their faces, hands, and other parts of their bodies. Firefighters and authorities from Indane Gas agency arrived at the scene and found that the leak likely originated from a regulator near the gas pipe.

Authorities are conducting further investigations into the incident.

The house owner, Vamana, is a Vratadhari  and he used a separate small kitchen area for cooking. Fortunately, no major damage occurred in the other parts of the house. However, the explosion caused a loud noise, and the roof sheet of the house was blown away.