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Man dies in blast at scrap dealer’s shop in Patiala, Capt orders probe
Initial probe suggests that deceased hammered a compressor while segregating scrap.
A man was killed and another injured in an explosion at a scrap dealer’s shop in Patiala on Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as Vikram Singh, alias Nonu, 21, and the injured man is Manohar Singh.
Preliminary probe suggested that blast took place at 9am in Harinder Nagar’s Indira Colony, when Vikram, while segregating the scrap, hammered a compressor taken out of either refrigerator or air conditioner. While Vikram died on the spot, Manohar, a passerby, sustained injuries.
A police team led by SP Kesar Singh and Tripuri SHO Rajesh Malhotra rushed to the spot, and forensic experts were also called in to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
The SP said, “There would have been more casualties had it been a high-intensity blast or if there were more people at the shop. The forensic experts have taken the samples and exact reason behind the explosion will be known after they submit the report.” The shop is owned by scrap-dealer Gurcharan Singh, who had hired Vikram to segregate scrap items.
It is the second such incident in a period of just one month. In March, a 25-year-old scrap collector, a two-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl were killed in a similar blast at Sanauri Adda.
The blast took place when victim Mohammed Mumtiaz sought to break open a purportedly empty chemical bottle with a hammer. Mumtiaz and the boy, Mohammed Shamir, who was playing nearby, were reportedly killed on the spot, while Noor died after two days.
Amarinder announces ex gratia
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered an inquiry into the explosion in Patiala that claimed the life of a youth and extended his sympathies to the family of Vikram, the deceased.
He also wished speedy recovery to the injured man.
The CM has announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹1 lakh for the family of the deceased and ₹25,000 compensation for the injured, besides free medical treatment, said an official spokesperson here on Sunday.
