Raigad: Heavy monsoon rains triggered a major industrial safety scare in Maharashtra’s Raigad district after nearly 3,000 LPG cylinders were swept away from the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant into the swollen Patalganga River. Dramatic videos of hundreds of cylinders floating downstream have gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.
According to officials, relentless rainfall caused severe flooding in the Rasayani industrial area, leading to the overflow of a nearby water channel. Floodwaters breached the plant premises, washing away both filled and empty LPG cylinders into the river and nearby Kharpada Creek. Authorities have launched a large-scale recovery operation to retrieve the cylinders.
The Raigad district administration has issued an urgent public advisory asking people not to touch, collect or attempt to use any floating LPG cylinders, warning that some may still contain gas and could pose a serious risk of fire or explosion. Citizens have been instructed to immediately inform HPCL or local authorities if they spot any cylinders.
Despite repeated warnings, several viral videos showed locals entering the flood-swollen river to retrieve the drifting cylinders, raising serious safety concerns. The visuals have prompted mixed reactions online, with many users comparing the scene to the movie “Pushpa”, while others questioned the safety measures at the bottling plant and criticised people for risking their lives.
Officials said efforts are underway to track and recover the missing cylinders while assessing the damage caused by the flooding. The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of industrial facilities during extreme weather events and the need for stricter disaster preparedness measures.
