Oxygen cylinder blast in Okhla kills one, injures four
The owner of the commercial godown in Delhi's Okhla Phase-I was detained on Wednesday after an industrial oxygen cylinder explosion left one person dead and four others injured. The cylinder exploded in the morning after it fell onto the road while being unloaded from a truck, police said.
According to eyewitnesses, the blast was powerful enough to shatter glass windows of nearby buildings.
The deceased was identified as Mohit Singh (35), a helper working with a company which operates from Okhla Phase-I. He was a resident of Jaitpur in Delhi and had reportedly been working with the firm for around three years, police said.
The injured were identified as Umesh, Arvind, Manoj and Pankaj. They were immediately rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment.
Police filed an FIR under section 106(1) (causing death by negligence) of the BNS, following which the owner was detained.
According to officials, a PCR call regarding the blast was received at 10.45 am, following which police and fire department teams reached the spot and secured the area.
Three water tenders and a multi-casualty first responder vehicle were also rushed to the site.
A preliminary police inquiry found that the labourers were working for a firm engaged in trading and local distribution of industrial oxygen cylinders, which were intended for medical purposes and gas-cutting work.
In a statement, the firm's manager said the vehicle carrying the cylinders arrived at the premises in the morning, as part of the firm's routine operations. The workers were unloading the cylinders and shifting them inside the godown when one of the cylinders fell onto the road.
"An immediate explosion followed. Preliminary inquiry suggests that only one cylinder exploded. The exact technical cause of the blast has not yet been established. The scene, the cylinder, the vehicle and other relevant material will be examined by technical and forensic agencies to determine the precise cause of the explosion," a police officer said.
After the blast, Badarpur Sub Divisional Magistrate Yogesh Pal reached the spot and told the media that they received the call and multiple teams from the Delhi Fire Service, police and other teams reached the spot.
"We have identified the person who died and the process of identifying those four injured are underway," Pal said.
Pawan, who works at a nearby factory, said the explosion was extremely loud and initially felt like a bomb blast.
"The blast was so intense that a ringing sound continued in our ears for some time," he said.
The cylinders are reportedly received in filled condition from Ghaziabad through a supplier identified as Ram Avtar, and are subsequently supplied to local traders and industries, particularly in the Okhla area.
Police are verifying details related to ownership and agency of the cylinders, among other aspects. The spot has been secured, and further investigation is underway, they said.
