NEW DELHI: One person died and four others were injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded while it was being unloaded from a truck at a godown in Okhla Phase-I on Wednesday morning, police said.A PCR call was received at Okhla Industrial Area police station around 10.43am regarding the blast at D-23, Okhla Phase-I. Police teams reached the spot and found a Tata 407 (DL-1LAJ-3232) loaded with commercial oxygen cylinders.Preliminary inquiry revealed that the vehicle had brought the cylinders from Ghaziabad and workers were unloading them at the premises.According to the preliminary statement of the manager of SM Traders, one of the cylinders fell from the vehicle onto the road during unloading, following which it exploded. Police said only one cylinder exploded.Mohit Singh, 35, a helper working with SM Traders, died at the spot. He was a resident of Jaipur and had been working with the firm for around three years, according to police.Four others, i.e., Umesh, Arvind, Manoj and Pankaj, sustained injuries and were shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for treatment. Their identities and medical condition are being verified, police said.The premises at D-23 is being used as a godown by SM Traders, a firm involved in the trading and local distribution of industrial oxygen cylinders, according to the preliminary inquiry. The firm has reportedly been operating from the rented premises for around one to two years.Police said no oxygen-filling plant was found at the premises. The cylinders are reportedly received in filled condition from Ghaziabad through a supplier identified as Ram Avtar and supplied to local traders and industries, particularly in the Okhla area.The exact technical cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Police are also verifying the ownership and agency of the cylinders, their source of supply, the credentials of the supplier and the statutory permissions and licences applicable to their storage, handling and transportation.The spot has been secured and further investigation is underway.
