Chungtia LPG fire: Assam Rifles hospital treats two burn victims

MOKOKCHUNG – Two villagers suffered burn injuries in the Chungtia LPG fire in Mokokchung district on Friday, November 14, and were treated at an Assam Rifles Unit Hospital before being sent on for specialised care. The fire was linked to a leak of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking gas.

The two patients are a 53-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, according to an official Assam Rifles release carried by Nagaland Today. Their names have not been made public.

Treatment after the Chungtia LPG fire

According to the release, the two were brought to the Assam Rifles Unit Hospital, where the medical team gave them first aid and further treatment to stabilise them. Photographs released with the statement show the patients’ burns being dressed by a uniformed medic and by nursing staff.

Because of the nature of their injuries, both patients were later referred to a tertiary care centre for specialised treatment, the release said. It did not name the hospital they were moved to.

What is not yet known

The release did not say how the Chungtia LPG fire started, whether it caught fire inside a home or kitchen, or how badly the two were burned. It also gave no update on their condition after the referral, and did not say where the Assam Rifles hospital that treated them is located.

It is also not known whether anyone else was hurt or whether there was damage to property. Chungtia, an Ao Naga village, lies about 16 km north-west of Mokokchung town along the Mokokchung-Mariani road.

LPG safety: what to do if you smell gas

LPG is heavier than air, so leaked gas can collect near the floor and build up in a closed kitchen until a spark or flame sets it alight. The Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas runs a nationwide LPG emergency helpline, 1906, for leaks and other cylinder emergencies.

Standard safety advice from gas distributors is to turn off the regulator and stove knobs at once, open doors and windows, and keep away any flame. Electrical switches, including lights and fans, should not be turned on or off, as they can spark. People should leave the room and call the helpline or their gas distributor.

Burns that are large, deep, or on the face, hands or joints need hospital care. Doctors advise cooling a fresh burn under clean running water for several minutes, and not putting ice, toothpaste or oil on it. Nagaland.News recently reported on another deadly blaze in the region, the Parsi-Parlo house fire in Arunachal Pradesh.