New Delhi: One person was killed and four others injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded near a community hall in Okhla Phase-1, Delhi, on Wednesday morning. The incident was reported around 11 am, following which emergency teams rushed to the spot.
Three fire tenders and a multi-casualty first responder vehicle were deployed following the blast. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, while the victim, identified as Mohit Singh, 35, died at the spot.
According to the preliminary police inquiry, a Tata 407 carrying commercial oxygen cylinders had arrived from Ghaziabad at premises being used as a godown by SM Traders.
Workers were reportedly unloading the cylinders when one fell from the vehicle onto the road and exploded. Police said only one cylinder burst, while the exact cause remains under investigation.
The injured were identified as Umesh, Arvind, Manoj and Pankaj.
Police said SM Traders has been operating from the rented premises for around one to two years and deals in industrial oxygen cylinder distribution. No oxygen-filling plant was found there.
The firm reportedly handles 70–80 cylinders a day, though this is yet to be verified through records.
Authorities are checking the cylinders’ source, supplier credentials and required licences for storage, handling and transportation. The site has been secured and further investigation is underway.
