Near escape for labourers as building collapses after LPG blast in Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 2 (PTI) Just moments before a powerful LPG cylinder blast reduced a commercial building in north Delhi’s Mukundpur to rubble, Sanjeev had rolled down a carpet inside and was preparing to take a short rest.

The native from Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur had returned from a morning visit to a temple and was exhausted after standing in a long queue.

“I had come back from the temple and was very tired. I thought I would lie down for a few minutes,” Sanjeev, a childhood friend of injured worker Shyam Singh, told PTI.

Five minutes later, he stepped outside to drink water.

“I heard a loud bang. It sounded like a tyre bursting. In a moment, everything was over. The entire building collapsed. If I had not gone out for water, I would have died too,”

he said.

The single-storey structure collapsed following an LPG cylinder blast in Mukundpur on Monday morning, leaving one person critically injured and several others trapped under debris.

Workers and locals said that the building housed small manufacturing and packaging units. Utensils were painted and baked in a furnace inside one section, while another unit was involved in packaging charger and fan components.

“There was a furnace where the painted utensils were baked. Nearby, gas cylinders were being filled. One of the cylinders was leaking gas,” Munna, a worker from a village near Patna, said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Hareshwar Swami said police received information about the blast and collapse around 9.30 am, following which an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) that was patrolling nearby and local police personnel rushed to the spot.

“Eleven people have been rescued. One woman suffered burn injuries and is in critical condition. She has been referred to Safdarjung Hospital,” Swami said.

According to DFS officials, the building comprised a ground floor that was allegedly being used for refilling small LPG cylinders from commercial LPG cylinders when the blast took place, resulting in the collapse of the structure.

The blast occurred in a 250-square yard single-storey house, officials said.

Workers further said that they had gathered in a room where tea was being prepared before work began, adding that the woman who was in critical condition after the collapse would prepare tea for workers each morning.

“Early in the morning, the furnace is usually not running. Tea was being prepared for all the workers as usual,” a labourer said.

He added that many of the workers employed in the units lived in nearby lanes of Mukundpur and had moved to Delhi from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in search of employment.

He further said that the workers were aware that gas was leaking somewhere in the building, but nobody knew from which cylinder.

“There was a gas smell. People knew there was a leak but could not identify the cylinder. As soon as the woman lit the gas stove to prepare tea, there was a blast,” a neighbour of the victims alleged.

He added that commercial LPG cylinders were being stored and used in the building and claimed there had been disagreements between neighbours and those running the operation.

Authorities have not officially confirmed these allegations. According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a call reporting the blast and house collapse was received at 9.37 am.

Sanjeev described the building as an old structure, estimating it to be more than 15 years old. The ground floor had a large hall-like area, while three to four rooms had been partitioned on the upper floor.

“Shutters were blown outward during the blast,” he said.

Mukesh, a native of Bihar, suffered severe burn injuries to his hands and legs. According to neighbours, he had been speaking to a friend on the phone moments before the blast.

“As soon as he entered the building, there was a loud sound and a portion of the door flew onto his face,” his relative said, adding that his jaw was seriously injured.

Family members of the victims further alleged that the rescue operation was also hampered by access issues.

“The ambulance could not enter the narrow lane. It took nearly an hour to arrive. My friend, Shyam, managed to walk nearly 100 metres before reaching an ambulance. The force of the blast hit him badly. Luckily, his eyes were saved,” Sanjeev said.

As rescue workers cleared the debris and relatives waited anxiously for updates, many survivors remained haunted by how narrowly they escaped.

This incident comes days after six people were killed and eight others injured when a multi-storey commercial building housing a coaching centre, cafes and offices collapsed near Saket Metro Station on the evening of May 30. PTI MSJ MSJ APL APL