House collapses in LPG blast in Delhi's Mukundpur; 1 critical, rescue op underway

A caller reported the blast at 9.37 am, saying residents may be trapped.

A single-storey utensil colouring factory collapsed in an LPG blast in north Delhi's Mukundpur area on Tuesday morning. Eleven people were rescued and one of them is in a critical state, officials said.

The incident happened at Gali No. 1, Part-2, Ishu Vihar, near the cremation ground, he said.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), a call reporting the blast and house collapse was received at 9.37 am. The caller informed authorities that several residents were feared trapped under the debris.

"Information was received that a blast had taken place and a building had collapsed, trapping people inside. Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot and search and rescue operations were launched," a DFS official said.

An officer said an initial investigation suggested that the blast might have occurred while transferring gas from a big cylinder to a smaller one. Some cylinders were found from the spot.

"There was a report that there was a blast and a house collapsed. An ERV was on patrol which responded to the scene. Eleven people were rescued, one of them was a woman who received critical burn injuries. Prima facie, we got to know that a utensil colouring factory was being operated from the house," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.

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

Four to five injured people were rescued from the debris by the locals and the police and were rushed to a nearby hospital, an official said.

Authorities are clearing debris and searching the collapsed structure to ensure no one remains trapped.

"The moment I heard a loud blast-like sound, the first thing that came to my mind was that a gas cylinder had exploded. We immediately ran towards the spot and found that a house had collapsed," an eyewitness told PTI.

He said that there was dust everywhere and people were shouting for help.

Some people started recording videos on their phones.

"I personally requested them to stop filming and join the rescue effort because every second was important," he said.

The eyewitness said that around half a dozen people got down to clear the debris with whatever tools they found.

"By God's grace, we managed to pull out one person from under the rubble. They were frightened and injured," he added.

Another eyewitness, who was working nearby at the time of the incident, said he too rushed to the site after hearing a loud explosion.

"I heard a loud bang and rushed towards where the sound came from. When I reached there, the locals had already gathered and were engaged in rescue efforts," he said.

"While clearing the debris, I injured myself, but that did not matter at that moment. Our only focus was to save those trapped underneath. I helped pull out two people from the rubble," he said.

(With PTI inputs)