Delhi: Oxygen cylinder blast in Okhla leaves one dead, four injured

One person was killed and four others injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded while it was being unloaded from a truck at a commercial godown in southeast Delhi’s Okhla Phase-I on Wednesday, police said.

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 Jaipur 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.

According to officials, a PCR call regarding the blast was received at around 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 following information about the blast.

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.

The firm’s manager, in a statement, said the vehicle carrying the cylinders had arrived at the premises in the morning as part of the firm’s routine operations. The workers were in the process of unloading the cylinders and shifting them inside the godown when one of the cylinders fell from the vehicle 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,” the officer said.

The blast was powerful enough to shatter glass windows of nearby buildings, according to eyewitnesses.

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.

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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 various details related to ownership and agency of the cylinders, among other aspects. The spot has been secured, and further investigation is underway, they said