Video: 3,000 gas cylinders float in river after floodwaters breach HPCL plant

Mangalore Today News Network

Raigad, Jul 9, 2026: A shocking incident has emerged from Maharashtra’s Raigad district amid incessant rainfall, with around 3,000 LPG cylinders being washed away from the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant and seen floating in the Patalganga River.

Officials said torrential rain caused the plant’s protective wall to collapse, allowing floodwaters to enter the premises and sweep the cylinders into the Patalganga River and Kharpada Creek.

Several stunned residents were seen recording videos of the floating cylinders from a nearby bridge.

The administration has warned that some of the cylinders may still contain gas, posing a serious safety risk.

Raigad Collector Kishan Javle has appealed to citizens who come across the cylinders in the river or nearby areas to immediately hand them over to the authorities or the company.

He said the cylinders can be deposited directly at the HPCL plant, any nearby HPCL dealer, the Tehsildar offices in Khalapur and Mangaon, or the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO).

For safety reasons, the administration has urged people not to keep the cylinders in their homes and to cooperate in returning them at the earliest.

"There is no guarantee whether the cylinders washed into the river contain gas or whether they are in a safe condition. Picking them up, opening them, or taking them home out of curiosity or for personal use could be extremely dangerous," the collector said.

Continuous heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc across several parts of Maharashtra over the past week, with Raigad emerging as one of the worst-affected districts, witnessing widespread flooding and overflowing rivers.