At least three people were killed on Wednesday after the gas cylinder of a truck exploded while it was being refilled at a compressed natural gas (CNG) station in outer Delhi's Tikri Kalan.
Five others have also been injured in the blast that took place at the Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) CNG pump near the Tikri Kalan Metro Station, and were rushed to the hospital. Out of these, one remains in a critical condition.
A Delhi Fire Service (DFS) official told PTI that a distress call regarding the incident had come in at 3:37 PM, following which six fire tenders were rushed to the spot.
One of the victims has been identified as 25-year-old Manish, a resident of Baba Haridas Colony. At the time of the blast, he had reportedly been filling CNG into a truck. Manish reportedly died on the spot.
Manish and the other two deceased—Nizampur residents Brahmjeet and Sunny—were identified in local media reports as staffers at the CNG pump.
Manish's family has alleged that he bled for about half an hour before an ambulance rushed him to the Safdarjung Hospital.
"He lay there for half an hour. He had lost so much blood. How could anyone survive?" his uncle, Vijay Prasad, told PTI, alleging that there had been no one left to take him to the hospital, as all the gas station staff had run away.
Visuals from the scene after the blast showed flames and smoke at the CNG station, with emergency personnel at the site looking to contain the situation.
The exact cause of the blast is yet to be determined, as the authorities are examining the gas refilling process and the condition of the cylinders and equipment involved.
