If anyone in Maharashtra’s Raigad district thought they had spotted an unusually shaped fish in the Patalganga River, they probably needed a second look. What was actually floating downstream wasn’t fishes—it was thousands of LPG cylinders.
In one of the most bizarre sights triggered by this year’s monsoon, nearly 3,000 LPG cylinders were swept away from the HPCL Patalganga LPG Bottling Plant after relentless rain breached the facility’s protective wall. The floodwaters then gave the cylinders an unplanned river cruise through the Patalganga River and Kharpada Creek.
Videos of the incident quickly went viral, with stunned onlookers watching from a bridge as what looked like an endless convoy of red cylinders floated downstream.
No, don’t take one home
While the visuals may have looked surreal—and social media may already be having a field day—the administration has stressed that this is no laughing matter.
Officials warned that some of the cylinders may still contain LPG and could pose a serious safety risk.
Raigad Collector Kishan Javle has appealed to anyone who comes across the floating cylinders to hand them over to the authorities instead of treating them as an unexpected freebie.
Recovered cylinders can be deposited at:
HPCL Patalganga plant
Any nearby HPCL dealer
Tehsildar Office, Khalapur
Tehsildar Office
Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Office
The administration has specifically advised residents not to pick up, open or store the cylinders at home, as it is unclear whether they still contain gas or are safe to handle.
The unusual incident comes as continuous rainfall continues to batter Maharashtra, with Raigad among the worst-hit districts. Flooded roads, overflowing rivers and waterlogged areas have disrupted normal life across several parts of the district.
Thousands of cylinders is dancing to your own rhythm in Maharashtra at a time when the country have been suffering from the worst energy crisis due to Iran-US conflict.