Lucknow: Three dead, eight injured as oxygen cylinder explodes while being refilled
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to find the cause of the incident.
2 min read
Rescue works in progress after a blast at an oxygen cylinder refilling plant at chinhat area of Lucknow on Wednesday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)At least three persons were killed and eight others injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded during refilling in Lucknow’s Chinhat area on Wednesday evening. Among the dead, two were employees of the oxygen plant, while one had come to refill the oxygen cylinder.
All the eight injured, who have been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, KGMU and GNF Hospital, are employees of the oxygen plant. The condition of one of the injured is said to be critical.
“The blast took place around 3.30 pm at KT Filling Station in Chinhat. A technical team and the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) have inspected the spot. Based on their inspection report, we will try to find out the reason behind the explosion. However, our main priority now, is to provide the best possible medical treatment to those injured,” Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said.
SHO of Chinhat police station Dhananjay Pandey said the incident occurred at at KT oxygen plant. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)
Police have identified the deceased as Arun Kumar Pandey and Tribhuvan Yadav – both employees of the oxygen plant – and one Deepu Kanaujia, who was there to refill his oxygen cylinder.
Lucknow Police Commissioner DK Thakur said the blast took place on a platform inside the refilling area of the oxygen plant. “Prima facie, it appears that the cylinder, which exploded, had some technical fault in it,” he said.
Sources said the cylinder that exploded was a “jumbo” cylinder.
There was no major damage to the filling station and it would be functional soon, said an official.
He said that the exploded cylinder was arranged by a Covid patient’s attendant for his medical oxygen need in home isolation. “It appears to us that the cylinder had some technical fault and probably wasn’t strong enough to hold the full pressure of the oxygen when filled,” Thakur added.
Expressing grief over the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to find the cause of the incident.
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