At least one person died and several others were injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded in Okhla, South East Delhi, on Wednesday, 9 September, officials confirmed. The blast occurred around 11 am while cylinders were reportedly being unloaded from a vehicle at an industrial site in the area.

How the Blast Unfolded

Emergency services responded swiftly, dispatching three fire trucks and a multi-casualty response vehicle to the scene. Eyewitnesses at the location described a sudden explosion during what appeared to be a routine unloading operation.

A witness named Saud said: 'The incident took place around 10:00 am. One person died on the spot, we even saw his body...around three to four people are injured.'

Another eyewitness, Kurshid Alam, provided additional context: 'These are oxygen cylinders that were used with cutter machines in the factory here. The blast took place while the cylinders were being unloaded.' Alam further noted that people within a 100-metre radius also sustained injuries from the force of the explosion.

Scale of the Emergency Response

The deployment of a multi-casualty response vehicle alongside fire tenders indicates that authorities anticipated a significant number of casualties at the scene. The injured were shifted to nearby medical facilities for treatment. The exact number of those hospitalised had not been officially confirmed at the time of reporting.

A Troubling Pattern of Cylinder Blasts in Delhi

This incident follows a similar explosion last month, when a CNG cylinder on a truck detonated at a fuel station near Tikri Kalan Metro Station in Outer Delhi, killing at least three people and injuring six. Among those killed was Manish, 25, a resident of Baba Haridas Colony in West Delhi, who was reportedly filling gas into the truck's CNG cylinder at the time. A second victim was identified as Sunny Nizampur, 32. The identity of the third deceased remained unknown at the time of that report. The Delhi Police confirmed all three were employees of the CNG pump.

In that earlier incident, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received the alert at 3:37 pm and dispatched six fire tenders. The six injured persons were reportedly standing nearby when the explosion occurred. Notably, this is the second such industrial or fuel-related cylinder blast in Delhi within a month, raising fresh questions about safety protocols during cylinder handling and transportation.

What Investigators Will Focus On

Authorities are expected to examine whether standard safety procedures were followed during the unloading of the oxygen cylinders and whether the equipment involved met regulatory norms. Industrial oxygen cylinders, used with cutting machines in factories, operate under high pressure and require strict handling protocols. Any lapse in procedure or equipment maintenance can trigger catastrophic failure.

As the investigation continues, the Okhla blast is likely to prompt a broader review of cylinder-handling safety standards at industrial sites across the capital.