A consumer commission in West Bengal has directed Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and a local LPG distributor to jointly pay Rs 1 lakh in compensation to a woman who suffered severe burn injuries in a kitchen fire caused by a leaking gas cylinder.
In its order dated July 9, the panel found both the state-owned oil firm and the distributor liable for negligence and deficiency in service. The commission instructed IOCL to pay Rs 75,000 and the distributor to pay Rs 25,000, with the full amount payable within two months.
Details Of Injury And Ruling
The three-member bench, comprising President Gopal Kishore Sinha and members Meenakshi Ghosh and Sudip Majumder, evaluated hospital records confirming that the victim sustained 15 percent burn injuries to her back, shoulder, and right arm. The commission noted that domestic LPG is a hazardous material requiring regular checks, concluding that the victim was entitled to compensation for medical costs along with physical and mental suffering.
The incident occurred on August 11, 2023, while the victim was cooking. The gas cylinder, which had been booked on June 23, 2023, and delivered the following day, allegedly leaked gas and caught fire, inflicting burns and destroying her clothing.
Inspection Lapses And Inaction
Following the accident, the complainant’s son reported the leak to the distributor. A mechanic inspected the premises but failed to provide an inspection report despite repeated requests. The distributor replaced the cylinder the following day, with the delivery slip explicitly recording that the replacement was due to leakage.
The victim’s family also reached out to senior IOCL officials via social media platform X to request redressal for physical and mental trauma, but no action was taken by the company. Documents submitted to the commission indicated that the last mandatory safety inspection on the equipment had been conducted in July 2015.
Neither IOCL nor the distributor appeared before the panel despite receiving official notices, leading the commission to decide the case ex parte. The victim reported spending approximately Rs 50,000 on medical treatment, with prospective plastic surgery for scar removal estimated to cost an additional Rs 2 lakh.
