Eleven persons were rescued after a powerful LPG cylinder explosion brought down a one-storey building where an utensil colouring factory was established in the Mukundpur locality of North Delhi on Tuesday morning. The woman who was burned severely is in critical condition, officials said.
The incident took place in Ishu Vihar, Mukundpur-II near a local cremation ground. Around 9.37 AM, an emergency call regarding a blast and building collapse was received at Delhi Fire Services (DFS), it said. Immediately, a rescue operation was undertaken as witnesses had reported that several were trapped under the rubble and needed to be rescued.
The firefighters, police officers, and disaster response units hurried to the scene and started an intensive search and rescue operation. Finally, all 11 victims were rescued from the debris and brought to local hospitals for treatment. One of the injured was taken to Safdarjung hospital for specific treatment, the most seriously injured victim.
Initial investigations indicate the explosion could have been when LPG was being transferred from a large commercial cylinder to smaller cylinders in the factory. Officials found multiple gas cylinders at the facility that posed safety concerns and raised suspicions of gas handling violations.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Hareshwar Swami said that the building was believed to be a utensil colouring unit where gas refilling was going on. The explosion violently demolished the entire building, leaving workers and residents stuck in the building.
The area has been cordoned off and authorities are carrying out a detailed investigation to establish the exact cause of the explosion. The officials are also investigating whether the factory has the proper licenses and safety-clearances. The inquiry findings will be used to take further action.