New Delhi: A 35-year-old man was killed and four others were injured when a commercial oxygen cylinder exploded at a godown in southeast Delhi’s Okhla Wednesday morning.
The incident came to light after Okhla Industrial Area Police Station received a call about an explosion at 10.43 am, prompting police to rush to the spot. A relative, Vishnu, said Singh had been working as an oxygen-cylinder supplier for nearly 25 years. “He was the sole breadwinner for his family, which includes two children, a 10-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. Police said the firm handles around 70-80 cylinders daily, though the figure is being verified through stock registers, invoices and purchase records.
At the time of the incident, he was taking out the cylinders when one of them exploded,” he said. Vishnu said the family learnt about the incident after his brother-in-law received a phone call from the spot, following which other relatives were informed. Police said their identities and medical conditions were being verified.
Officers found a commercial truck registered to a firm, which had transported the commercial oxygen cylinders from Ghaziabad to the site. Four others – Umesh, Arvind, Manoj and Pankaj – suffered injuries and were shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre.
The spot has been secured and an investigation is under way. Technical and forensic teams will examine the cylinder, vehicle and other evidence to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion. Police are also verifying licences, permissions, cylinder ownership and compliance with storage and transportation norms.