Lucknow: A worker was killed and two others, including a Supervisor, were injured after an oxygen cylinder exploded during refilling at a private oxygen plant in Panki industrial area in Kanpur district early Friday morning.
The police and district officials rushed to the plant to rescue labourers working at the plant in the night shift. The blast occurred around 4 am when a worker, identified as Murad Ali, was refilling an empty cylinder with oxygen. It exploded and metal pieces pierced into the body of the worker. He was killed on the spot.
Other workers Hari Om Gautam and plant Supervisor Ajay also sustained injuries in the explosion. They were rushed to Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. Ajay was discharged after primary medical treatment. The condition of Gautam was stated to be serious. He has been shifted to the ICU.
The Additional District Magistrate Atul Kumar said that a probe has been ordered into the cylinder blast. He claimed that prima facie it looked that the empty cylinder was quite old and could not bear the high pressure of oxygen during refilling.
“It is too early to say anything. Investigations are on to ascertain the cause of the explosion. We are seeking support from a technical team also to figure out actual reasons,” said a senior police officer.
The plant was running 24X7 following heavy pressure and demand of oxygen cylinders due to the ongoing second wave of coronavirus. The plant’s assembly line was damaged at several places due to the explosion. Efforts are on to repair the damaged plant and start refilling oxygen at the earliest.
