Eleven people were rescued, one of them in a critical state, after a single-storey utensil colouring factory collapsed in an LPG cylinder blast in north Delhi's Mukundpur area on Tuesday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred at Gali No. 1, Ishu Vihar, Mukundpur-II, near the cremation ground.
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.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) 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 a critical condition. She has been referred to Safdarjung Hospital," Swami said.
The 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 at the spot.
"Prima facie, we got to know that a utensil colouring factory was being operated from the building. Many gas cylinders were found there. The process of transferring gas from big cylinders to small ones was taking place and that appears to be the possible reason behind the blast," 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.
"Prima facie, we got to know that a utensil colouring factory was being operated from the house," Swami said.
The blast occurred in a 250-square yard single-storey house, officials said.
The DFS said 10 of the injured were taken to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital for treatment, while the critically injured woman was referred to Safdarjung Hospital.
Authorities cleared debris and searched the collapsed structure to ensure no one remained trapped underneath.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Delhi Fire Services, local police and a dog squad were deployed at the site. The DCP said that all injured were workers employed at the factory.
An eyewitness told PTI that 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," he said.
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.