1 Dead, 4 Injured in Commercial Oxygen Cylinder Explosion at Delhi's Okhla Industrial Area

A high-intensity commercial oxygen cylinder blast in South-East Delhi's Okhla Phase-1 on Wednesday morning left one worker dead and four others critically injured.

The explosion occurred around 10:43 AM outside a rented godown at premises D-23, near the local Community Hall, while workers were unloading filled oxygen cylinders from a transport vehicle.

According to preliminary investigations by the Delhi Police and Delhi Fire Service (DFS), a commercial vehicle, a Tata 407 (DL-1LAJ-3232) registered to a firm named SM Traders, had arrived at the site from Ghaziabad carrying industrial cylinders.

As the workers began unloading, one oxygen cylinder accidentally fell from the truck onto the road, triggering an immediate explosion.

Casualties and Emergency Response

The impact of the blast killed 35-year-old Mohit Singh on the spot. A resident of Jaipur, Singh had been working as a helper with the firm for roughly three years.

Four other workers handling the stock sustained injuries; the deceased was Mohit Singh (35), a helper at SM Traders and the injured were Umesh, Arvind, Manoj, and Pankaj.

Emergency calls received around 10:47 AM led to multiple response units being dispatched to the scene, including local police officers, ERV, and PCR vans.

The Delhi Fire Service deployed a specialised team led by STO Manish, supported by three water tenders, one water bowser, and a mobile command vehicle.

CATS ambulances quickly evacuated the four injured workers to the AIIMS Trauma Centre for emergency medical treatment.

Firm Background and Ongoing Investigation

Preliminary inquiries indicate that SM Traders has operated at the rented premises for the past 1 to 2 years under valid GST registration.

The firm acts as a local distributor of industrial oxygen, handling an estimated 70 to 80 cylinders daily for local businesses across the Okhla industrial belt.

Authorities confirmed that no oxygen-filling plant was operational at the site. The cylinders were received pre-filled from a Ghaziabad-based supplier identified as Ram Avtar.

Police have secured the area while forensic experts and technical agencies conduct a detailed examination of the exploded cylinder, the transport vehicle, and the surrounding blast radius to establish the exact technical cause of the detonation.

Investigators are reviewing the firm’s stock registers, invoices, and statutory permissions to determine whether storage, safety, and transportation guidelines were fully complied with.