Compressor blast at illegal Delhi factory leaves two dead

Two men were killed while two others were injured after an alleged blast in an air compressor at a plastic moulding factory in northeast Delhi’s Gokalpuri on Saturday afternoon, the Delhi Police said

Two men were killed while two others were injured after an alleged blast in an air compressor at a plastic moulding factory in northeast Delhi’s Gokalpuri on Saturday afternoon, the Delhi Police said.

The plastic moulding factory operated out of northeast Delhi’s Gokalpuri. (HT Photo)

Joy Tirkey, deputy commissioner of police (northeast), said that the factory was operating illegally out of a residential unit. “We have registered a case of causing death due to negligence, and are looking for the factory owner and another person who rented out the premises,” said Tirkey.

“The factory did not have any kind of permission. The blast occurred in an air compressor tank which is used in the plastic moulding machine,” said Tirkey.

The police received a call about a “very loud” blast at 3.30pm. The fire department, which too simultaneously received a call for help, dispatched two fire tenders, said Atul Garg, director of Delhi Fire Services. “We found one person dead at the spot and three others were rushed to GTB Hospital,” said Garg.

The man who died at the spot was identified as 38-year-old Bablu who was working closest to the cylinder at the time of the blast. H was a resident of outer Delhi’s Rohini. The police later got to know that another injured person succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. “He was identified as Ram Karan, a 60-year-old auto driver who lived in Khajuri Khas,” said Tirkey, adding that it was being probed what the man was doing inside the factory.

The injured men were identified as Sahil, 22, and Deepak, 33.

The DCP said that the initial inquiry revealed that the residential building belonged to a man named Naresh. “Naresh rented out the property to a man named Yadav who was operating the factory,” Tirkey said.