April 3: A 50-year old guard at TCS Gitanjali Park in New Town died of injuries he suffered while trying to douse a fire that had broken out in several stalls near the office early today.

Jayanta Mondal, a retired army jawan, had rushed to douse the flames that engulfed the stalls selling food, tea and cigarettes on a pavement.

Six explosions were heard in quick succession, an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said.

A metal piece from the cylinder that had burst hit Mondal on his head and he collapsed immediately in a pool of blood. He was taken to RG Kar hospital, from where he was referred to SSKM Hospital. He died at SSKM.

An employee of an office in the area said a metal part shot out after one of the explosions and shattered a glass pane on the eighth floor.

"Fortunately the metal piece had bounced off the glass facade. Had it entered the office, people might have been injured," the employee said on condition of anonymity.

The incident reflected the danger of storing cylinders in makeshift stalls and also pointed to easy availability of cylinders.

A stall owner in New Town's Action Area I said anyone could get an LPG cylinder against payment.

Three tenders from the Sector V fire station took half an hour to control the flames.