3 minor siblings among four injured in CNG cylinder blast

Four persons, including three minor siblings, suffered serious injuries after a CNG cylinder exploded at a godown in northeast Sunder Nagri area here on Saturday afternoon, an official said.

The explosion took place around 4:30 pm at a storage and repair unit when the cylinder reportedly burst during a repair operation, he added.

The injured persons have been identified as Sakib (7), who suffered 90 per cent burns, Abbas (9), who suffered 85 per cent burns, and Raja (3), who suffered 85 per cent burns, - all three sons of Afsar - and Arshad (22), who sustained 70 per cent burns, an official of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said.

Arshad was working inside the godown at the time of the incident. After getting information, two fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the official said.

“Preliminary findings suggest that CNG cylinders were being stored and repaired at a shop on the ground floor of a four-storey residential building. One of the cylinders reportedly burst during a repair operation, triggering a powerful explosion,” he added.

The police said the blast was so intense that it shattered the iron gate of the godown, with debris hitting the three children who were playing nearby.

The injured were shifted to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.

Though no fire followed the blast, the shockwave caused considerable damage to the godown structure and some nearby properties, the DFS official said.

Crime and Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) teams visited the site and collected evidence. The facility was reportedly being used for unauthorised storage and repair of old CNG cylinders.

Legal action has been initiated against the owner of the godown. Relevant sections of law are being invoked and further investigation is underway to ascertain if the repair activity was in violation of safety regulations, the police said.