A man and his sister were killed and two others were injured in a cylinder explosion in a dilapidated house near the Lahartara private bus station in Varanasi on Tuesday, police said.
The deceased were identified as Om Kumar Chaudhary 28, and Preeti 25, police said. Their brother, Aman Chaudhary, 31, and mother, Girija Devi, 60, are under treatment, police added.
Locals told police about the incident on Tuesday morning in which the four victims were buried under debris. Police immediately arrived on the scene with the Bomb Disposal Squad and a Dog Squad, rescued the people and admitted them to the BHU trauma centre where Om Kumar and Preeti succumbed to their injuries, police said.
Police said that the incident took place when Girija Devi was cooking. A blast occurred due to a leak in the gas cylinder and the house subsequently collapsed, trapping Girija Devi-along with her three children-beneath the rubble.