Delhi: One killed in cylinder blast at Tilak Nagar

A total of six fire tenders along with the rescue teams of the fire department were rushed to douse the flames and carry out the rescue operation, the officials said.

One person was killed after a fire broke out following a cylinder blast at a gas cylinder refilling shop in Balmiki Colony near Tilak Nagar in west Delhi on Tuesday evening, fire department officials said. A total of six fire tenders along with the rescue teams of the fire department were rushed to douse the flames and carry out the rescue operation, the officials said.

The firefighters along with fire tenders reached there and found that the blast had taken place in a cylinder refilling shop consisting of ground and first floor (HT Photo)

Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said that the fire control room received a call at 7.40 pm regarding a cylinder blast at a building. The firefighters along with fire tenders reached there and found that the blast had taken place in a cylinder refilling shop consisting of ground and first floor. The cylinder explosion led to a fire in the building.

“Our firefighters doused the blaze and then carried out a rescue operation. One person was found seriously injured. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead,” the DFS chief said.

According to deputy commissioner of police (west) Ghanshyam Bansal, the person who died was the son of the shop owner. “Prime facie, it appears that there was a short-circuit in some electronic gadget that led to fire and explosion.

Police said the deceased was identified as Ravi Sharma,25. The cylinder blast and fire incident took place at Harijan Colony in Tilak Vihar. No other casualty was reported.

“During the enquiry, it was learnt that the fire broke out at the ground floor, where a grocery story was run, due to a short-circuit. The flames reached to a cylinder that exploded. A case of death by negligence and negligent conduct with respect to fire and combustible matter was registered under Indian Penal Code’s sections 304A and 285,” said DCP Bansal.

When being asked if cylinder refilling work happened on the first floor or the building, the DCP said, “We are probing the case from all possible angles.”