What happened here
A leak from a domestic LPG cylinder caught fire on the morning of 10 October 2026 while a gas agency hawker was checking it at a house in Rapti Nagar Phase-1, Gorakhpur. Four people were burnt. The 75-year-old house owner died the next day and his 70-year-old wife died on 15 October, according to Amar Ujala. PTI reported that a lighter was used to trace the leak; this is not an official finding.
Quick answers
What happened in the Rapti Nagar fire in Gorakhpur?
On 10 October 2026 a leak from a domestic LPG cylinder caught fire while a gas agency hawker was checking it at a house in Rapti Nagar Phase-1, under Shahpur police station. Four people were burnt.
How many people died?
Two. Ranjan Das, 75, died on 11 October 2026, as reported by Amar Ujala, ETV Bharat and Bhaskar Digital. His wife Jaya Das, 70, died on 15 October 2026, as reported by Amar Ujala. Their domestic help, Dashavati Devi, was still in a serious condition.
What caused the fire?
PTI reported that the hawker lit a lighter to trace the leak and the gas that had collected in the room caught fire. Police or fire officials had not published a finding on the cause by 16 October 2026.
How should I check my LPG connection for a leak?
Apply soapy water to the regulator, pipe and stove joints and look for bubbles. Never use a matchstick or lighter. If you smell gas, close the regulator, open windows, go out and call 1906.
What is the first aid for burns?
Cool the burn under cool, clean running water for 20 minutes. Even 10 minutes helps if that's all you can manage. No ice, toothpaste, oil or butter. Then cover the burn loosely with clean cling film or a clean cloth and call 108 or 112.
What happened
On the morning of Saturday, 10 October 2026, an elderly couple in Rapti Nagar Phase-1, a residential colony under Shahpur police station in Gorakhpur, called a hawker from their gas agency because the flame on their stove was burning low. While he was checking the cylinder, pipe and stove for a leak, the gas caught fire. Four people in the house were burnt.
PTI reported that the hawker lit a lighter to trace the leak, and that gas which had collected in the room caught fire and spread fast, leaving little time to get out. Amar Ujala reported that gas spread through the house while the stove was being repaired, and that the fire was followed by a loud bang which broke two doors of a room and blew off the tin shed on the roof. Neither account is an official finding.
Reports differ on the time. PTI put it at about 11 am; Bhaskar Digital reported about 9:15 am.
The people
Ranjan Das, 75, the owner of the house, and his wife Jaya Das, 70, were badly burnt. So was Dashavati Devi, 65, of Harsevakpur, who worked in the house. The fourth person was the gas agency hawker, 40, whose hands were burnt. PTI named him as Indresh; Amar Ujala first called him Indresh alias Parvez and later Parvez.
Ranjan Das, Jaya Das and Dashavati Devi were admitted to Nehru Hospital at BRD Medical College. The hawker went to a private hospital. Bhaskar Digital reported that a neighbour went into the house and brought the elderly couple out, and that Ranjan Das had lived in Rapti Nagar for about 30 years.
Ranjan Das died at BRD Medical College in the early hours of Sunday, 11 October, according to ETV Bharat and Bhaskar Digital. A later Amar Ujala report put his death late on 11 October. Amar Ujala then reported that Jaya Das died during treatment at BRD Medical College on Thursday, 15 October. We found her death reported only by Amar Ujala, in reports dated 15 and 16 October. Dashavati Devi was still in a serious condition, according to the same reports.
Response and investigation
Police were alerted through a Police Response Vehicle (PRV) call. PTI reported that Shahpur police and a fire department team reached the house and brought the fire under control. Family members took the injured to hospital.
On the day of the fire, Gorakhnath Circle Officer Ravi Kumar Singh told PTI that all the injured were stable and out of danger. That early assessment did not hold. ETV Bharat reported that the CO later visited the house and questioned people about what happened. Dynamite News quoted the Gorakhnath CO as saying necessary action was being taken.
By 16 October 2026 we could not find any report of an FIR, an arrest, an official finding on the cause of the leak, or compensation for the family.
Why this matters
LPG is heavier than air. When it leaks, it settles near the floor and fills a closed kitchen or room quietly. Any flame or spark can then set off the whole cloud at once, which is why a leak can turn into a flash fire or a bang without warning. A lighter, a matchstick, an electric switch or a stove knob can all be enough.
NCRB recorded 1,389 deaths in India in 2024 from fires caused by cooking gas cylinders or stove bursts, 64 of them in Uttar Pradesh. A further 160 people died in domestic gas cylinder explosions, which NCRB counts separately. Older people often need more time to get out of a room that fills with fire or smoke, and that time is what a gas flash takes away.
Lessons for every home
- Never use a flame to look for a gas leak. Not a lighter, not a matchstick, and do not let anyone else do it in your house, even a gas agency worker. Use soapy water on the joints; bubbles show the leak.
- If you smell gas, act in this order. Do not switch any light, fan or appliance on or off. Turn the regulator off and fit the safety cap. Open doors and windows. Get everyone out, then call the LPG emergency helpline 1906 from outside.
- Turn the regulator off every night. Make it the last job in the kitchen before you sleep, and again when you go out. A leak that starts at night has hours to build up.
- Fit a smoke alarm and an LPG gas detector. A smoke alarm outside the bedrooms wakes you if a fire starts at night. A gas detector near the floor in the kitchen warns you before the gas reaches a dangerous level. Test both every month.
- Plan the escape route for older people. Elderly parents should sleep in the room nearest the main door, with a clear path, a torch and a phone within reach. Keep keys to locked doors and grilles where everyone can find them in the dark.
- Know burn first aid. Cool the burn under cool, clean running water for 20 minutes. Even 10 minutes helps if that’s all you can manage. No ice, toothpaste, oil or butter. Remove rings, bangles and watches near the burn, cover it loosely with clean cling film or a clean cloth, and get the person to hospital. Call 108 for an ambulance or 112 for any emergency, and 101 for the fire brigade.
What is still not known
What was wrong with the cylinder or stove, where exactly the gas was leaking, what lit it, and whether the hawker was trained to repair stoves have not been officially confirmed. We could not find any report of a fire service or police finding, or of action against anyone. The condition of Dashavati Devi and the hawker after 16 October is not known. We will update this page when official findings are published.
- Gas agency hawker checks the cylinder, pipe and stove at the house; the leaking gas catches fire. PTI gives about 11 am, Bhaskar Digital about 9:15 am
- Amar Ujala reports a loud bang that broke two doors and blew off a tin roof shed; a neighbour brings the couple out (Bhaskar Digital)
- PRV alert; Shahpur police and a fire team control the fire (PTI); three admitted to Nehru Hospital, BRD Medical College, hawker to a private hospital
- CO Gorakhnath Ravi Kumar Singh tells PTI all the injured are stable and out of danger
- Ranjan Das dies at BRD Medical College (ETV Bharat, Bhaskar Digital); a later Amar Ujala report says late on 11 October
- ETV Bharat reports the CO visited the house and questioned people
- Jaya Das dies during treatment at BRD Medical College; Dashavati Devi still serious (Amar Ujala)
- No FIR, arrest, official cause finding or compensation found in published reports
Why consequences escalated
- The fire started while a gas agency hawker was checking the cylinder, pipe and stove for a leak.
- PTI reported that a lighter was used to trace the leak and that gas collected in the room caught fire.
- Amar Ujala reported a loud bang strong enough to break two doors and blow off a tin roof shed.
- Three of the four burnt people were elderly; two of them died in hospital within six days.
- The early police statement that all the injured were out of danger turned out to be wrong.
Failures and risk multipliers
- Using a flame to look for a gas leak, as PTI reported.
- Checking for a leak in a closed room where gas had already collected.
- Repair work on the cylinder, pipe or stove while the room was not aired out.
- Older people in the house had little time to get out once the gas caught fire.
Actions that reduce risk
- Test for a leak only with soapy water, never with a flame.
- If you smell gas, do not touch switches; close the regulator, open windows, go out and call 1906.
- Ask the gas agency for a trained mechanic for stove and pipe faults, and stay with them while they work.
- Fit a smoke alarm outside the bedrooms and an LPG detector low in the kitchen; test them monthly.
- Keep older family members in the room nearest the main door, with a clear path out.
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