Air compressor blast kills boy, injures four

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 14

In a high intensity air compressor blast at a cycle repair-cum-puncture vend on the roadside at Pipal Chowk in Giaspura on Sunday afternoon, an 11-year-boy was killed while four others, including his father, suffered injuries.

After the explosion a piece of iron pierced boy’s head due to which he succumbed to his injuries. The intensity of the explosion was so high that compressor fell more than 40-feet away from the repair vend. The compressor hit the boy with huge force hence killing him on the spot.

The deceased boy has been identified as Amit Yadav (11), a resident of Mohinder Nagar, Lohara. The injured include father of the deceased, Jatinder Yadav (35), who runs a two-wheeler repair shop “Amit Auto Garage”, Sicky (15) and Vicky (21), duo are brothers of Sonu, who owns a cycle repair vend outside Jatinder Yadav’s auto garage, and Yashpal (35), a ‘petha’ vendor. Yashpal had come to the cycle repair vend to fill air in his push cart.

Sicky is Class VII student. He came to the shop as his school was closed on Sunday and got injured in the blast. Even Amit, who was Class V student, was present at his father’s auto garage as his school was also closed it being Sunday.

One of the passerby also sustained minor injuries while he was passing from the road and the compressor exploded.

Jatinder Yadav said he had been running two-wheeler repair shop on rent from the past five years. Owner Shiv Kumar Yadav had given space in front of Jatinder Yadav’s shop to Sonu for cycle repair work where he had also kept a compressor.

“Today morning at around 10 am, my son Amit had come to the shop as it was holiday in school. I was sitting inside my shop when the air compressor exploded. My son, who was playing behind the compressor, was hit by the compressor, which fell 40-feet away from its original place. My son suffered serious injuries on his head. A piece of iron grill also pierced into my son’s head due to which he could not survive,” said Jatinder Yadav, who is undergoing treatment at hospital.

Another injured Sicky said the cycle repair shop was owned by his brother Sonu. Due to some religious engagement last night, he could not open vend, he said. So, he and his brother Vicky opened vend, Sicky added.

“We switched on the compressor at 11 am today and checked its meter several times to see if it was filled or not. Last time when we checked the meter at around 1 pm it showed half air filled. Exactly 10 minutes later, it exploded,” he said.

Amit was the only son of his parents, while his eight-year-old sister Class II student. “Today is the most unfortunate day as I sent my son with his father to the shop despite he insisting that I should allow him to play with his friends. Had I not sent him to the shop, he could have been alive today? said wailing Reeta, Amit’s mother.

“We heard a loud explosion. When we came to inquire, we saw the boy lying in a pool of blood and two others seriously injured. A sudden panic gripped the locality,” said Surinder Yadav, a resident of the area.

More lives could have been lost

The market usually witnesses a huge rush on Sunday. As the compressor flew into the direction opposite the main road after the explosion, it took the life of a child. Had the compressor flown in the air towards the main road, there could have been more casualties. After the explosion, two cycles and a pushcart on which the compressor was kept, was also blown into pieces. ADCP Surindra Lamba said so far, the cause of the blast was known to be filling of excess air in the compressor, but further probe was on. If anyone’s negligence comes to fore, the police would take action accordingly, he added.

Petha seller injured

An iron piece pierced into the petha seller’s head. He took it out and was rushed to the hospital. Eye witnesses said when the compressor exploded, petha seller Yashpal was filling air in his pushcart. After the explosion, an iron piece pierced his head, but he took it out and asked the people nearby to take him to the hospital. His condition is stated to be serious.