Dhanbad, April 5 Three people are reported to have died in a gas leak in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, early Sunday morning, according to police.
The incident occurred in Munidih around 1 am, they said.
"According to the preliminary investigation, some people went to steal scrap metal. It appears they may have cut into a gas cylinder that was full. The smell was so strong that they fainted," said Manika Tiwari, in charge of the Munidih police station.
Dhanbad SSP Prabhat Kumar said three people have died in the incident.
Shaheed Nirmal Mahato Medical College and Hospital superintendent Dinesh Kumar Gindoria said five people were brought to the hospital.
"Two of them were brought in dead, and one died during treatment," he said.