How did floodwaters reach an LPG plant? Questions swirl after Maharashtra incident

Social media users have questioned how floodwaters were able to reach a major LPG bottling facility in Maharashtra, after heavy monsoon rain caused flooding at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) plant in Patalganga, near Panvel, sweeping around 3,000 cylinders into the Patalganga River.

While the Raigad district administration has repeatedly urged the public not to retrieve or keep the drifting cylinders, some online commenters argued the more pressing issue was how a facility storing thousands of cylinders proved vulnerable to flooding in the first place, with others criticising what they called poor planning and safety measures.

Videos of the cylinders floating downstream, and of locals wading into the water to grab them, spread widely online. Officials said the cylinders included both filled and empty units, and asked anyone who finds one to hand it over to HPCL, an authorised distributor, or local Tehsildar and Sub-Divisional Officer offices in Khalapur or Pen.

Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale appealed to residents to stay away from any cylinders found in the river or washed ashore, saying they should not be picked up or taken home under any circumstances.