The police cordoned off the area at Manalurpettai in Kallakurichi district where a helium gas cylinder exploded on Monday (January 19, 2026).
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A 50-year-old woman died and at least 12 others were injured when a cylinder used to fill balloons with helium gas exploded at Manalurpettai in Kallakurichi district on Monday night.
The deceased has been identified as Kala. The injured have been admitted to the Tiruvannamalai Government Medical College and Hospital. The incident occurred during the annual River Festival, which marks the end of the five-day Pongal festivities. People had thronged the venue in large numbers.
The police said the cylinder exploded around 7.30 p.m. Kala’s legs were severed in the impact of the explosion. She was brought dead to Tiruvannamalai. A few of the injured were found lying on the road and shifted to Tiruvannamalai immediately.
District Superintendent of Police S. Aravind, who visited the spot, said six of the injured were admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Collector M.S. Prasanth told reporters after visiting the scene that one death had been confirmed so far. A boy and the person who operated the cylinder were in a critical condition. The cause of the explosion was being probed, he said.
Published – January 19, 2026 10:08 pm IST
