Delhi: Three dead, 3 injured after truck CNG cylinder explodes at Tikri Kalan filling station

Three people were killed and three others injured after a CNG cylinder fitted in a truck exploded during refilling at a gas filling station in Delhi’s Tikri Kalan area on Wednesday, police said.

The three deceased were employees of the filling station, while the injured, including the truck driver, have been admitted to a hospital in Mundka. Police said one of the injured is in critical condition.

The explosion occurred at around 3.30 pm near Tikri Kalan Metro Station, sending panic through the surrounding area. According to police, six people were in the vicinity of the truck when the cylinder burst.

Three station workers killed

Manish, 25, who was engaged in filling the gas cylinder, died immediately following the explosion, police said. The two other victims, identified as Sunny, 30, and Brahmjeet, 34, later died of their injuries.

The remaining three people, including the truck driver, sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital in Mundka for treatment.

The precise cause of the blast has not yet been established. Investigators are examining the truck, its CNG cylinder and the equipment involved in the refilling operation to determine whether a technical fault or another issue triggered the explosion.

A Delhi Fire Service officer said the department received a call about the incident at 3.37 pm. Six fire tenders were subsequently sent to the location.

Emergency services were alerted by passersby soon after the blast, with police and fire personnel reaching the filling station near Tikri Kalan Metro Station. The explosion caused considerable alarm in the vicinity, as people rushed towards the site after hearing the loud sound.

Eyewitnesses described the blast as massive, while one witness said blood was scattered around the area following the explosion.

CCTV, forensic evidence under scrutiny

A forensic science team and the crime unit inspected the site and collected evidence as part of the investigation. Police are examining the possibility of a malfunction involving either the CNG cylinder or the equipment used during refilling.

Investigators have also formed teams to establish the sequence of events leading up to the explosion and determine whether mandatory safety protocols were being followed at the time.

"Teams are also checking CCTV footage from the filling station and nearby locations. We are examining the footage to establish the sequence of events before, during and immediately after the explosion," a police officer privy to the investigation said.

Police are analysing CCTV footage alongside forensic findings and statements from employees and others who were present at the filling station. The investigation is also focused on determining how the cylinder exploded while the truck was being refuelled.

Vijay Prasad, a family member of deceased Manish, alleged that there was a delay in getting medical assistance for the victim.

"For nearly 30 minutes, he remained at the fuel pump near Tikri Kalan Metro Station before he could get an ambulance and be rushed to a hospital," his uncle Vijay Prasad said.

"He had lost so much blood. How could anyone survive?" Prasad told PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)