HYDERABAD, Feb 25: Dozens of vehicles including rickshaws, mini taxies, motorcycles and pushcarts were burnt in a garage in Noorani Basti within the jurisdiction of Pinyari police station in the wee hours on Sunday.

The watchman of the garage, Abdullah, suffered 45 per cent burn injuries and was admitted to burns ward of the Civil Hospital Hyderabad.

The entire area in Noorani Basti near Paretabad government hospital reverberated with sound of explosions one after another before the fire broke out in the garage.

People of the area came out of their homes to see what had happened as the blast, believed to be of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders, rant in the air. As a result of the blast boundary walls of the garage caved in.

Firetenders rushed to the spot but by then a large number of vehicles had been reduced to ashes.

The Taluka Nazim, Javed Jabbar, put the burnt vehicles at 52 while according to Pinyari police, after recording statement of Abdullah, claimed that there were around 71 or 72 vehicles including rickshaws, mini taxis, bikes and pushcarts.

The garage was owned by Ziaur Rehman Pathan, who rented his premises to people for parking their vehicles. A formal report has was registered by Pinyari police.