The New Indian Express ·
One worker killed, four injured after oxygen cylinder explodes at godown in Delhi's Okhla
NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old worker was killed, and four others were injured after a commercial oxygen cylinder exploded while being unloaded from a vehicle at a godown in Okhla Phase-I on Wednesday morning, police said.
According to the police, information was received on Wednesday at 10.43 am at the Okhla Industrial Area police station regarding a blast in an oxygen cylinder in Okhla Phase-I.
Police immediately reached the spot and found a truck which had brought commercial oxygen cylinders to the premises from Ghaziabad.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the premises is being used as a godown by a firm operating under the name SM Traders. The workers — Umesh, Mohit, and Pankaj were engaged in loading/unloading of commercial oxygen cylinders at the premises.
As per the preliminary statement of the manager of SM Traders, the vehicle carrying oxygen cylinders had arrived at the premises in the morning, as per routine. The process of unloading the cylinders and shifting them inside the godown was underway. During unloading, one oxygen cylinder fell from the vehicle on the road, following which an immediate explosion occurred. As per the preliminary inquiry, only one cylinder exploded, a senior police officer said.
The exact technical cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained and will be established after detailed examination of the scene, cylinder, vehicle and other relevant material by the concerned technical/forensic agencies, the officer said.
Mohit Singh, a resident of Jaipur in Rajasthan, who was working as a helper/worker at SM Traders, died at the spot. He was reportedly working with the firm for approximately three years, he said.
Four other persons sustained injuries in the incident and were immediately shifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre for medical treatment.
During preliminary enquiry, it has emerged that SM Traders is reportedly operating on GST registration and has been functioning at the present premises for approximately one to two years. The premises is reportedly being used on rent.
Around three to four people are stated to be working at the premises. The firm is reportedly engaged in the trading/local distribution of industrial oxygen cylinders. No oxygen-filling plant was found or reported at the premises. The cylinders are stated to be received in filled condition from Ghaziabad, through a supplier identified as Ram Avtar, and are thereafter supplied to local traders and industries, particularly in the Okhla area, the officer said.
Around 70 to 80 cylinders are handled daily, although this figure is yet to be verified from the firm’s stock registers, purchase/sale records, invoices and other relevant documents. The exact ownership/agency of the cylinders, source of supply, credentials of the supplier and statutory permissions/licences applicable to storage, handling and transportation of oxygen cylinders are also being verified, police said.
