UP: Six breathe their last as oxygen cylinder of ailing woman explodes

Lucknow: In a tragic incident that unfolded in the Ashapuri Colony of Bulandshahr, a two-storey house collapsed following a massive oxygen cylinder explosion overnight resulting in the death of six members of a family and left three others critically injured.

Relief and rescue operations carried on into the night as emergency personnel worked to rescue 17 people trapped under the debris.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shlok Kumar, six people lost their lives in the accident. “How the incident occurred will be determined after an investigation. The people who were trapped under the debris have been rescued,” he stated.

Sources said the explosion occurred during an attempt to administer oxygen to Rukhsana, the wife of Riyazuddin, who works in lintel shuttering. Rukhsana, recently discharged from a private hospital due to breathing issues, began experiencing distress again after arriving home. While attempting to set up an oxygen cylinder for her, the cylinder exploded, leading to the house’s collapse.

The impact of the explosion buried 26 members of Riyazuddin’s family under the rubble, including his sons, daughters, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. Among the deceased were Riyazuddin, Rukhsana, their sons Siraj and Shahrukh and daughter Tamanna.

Fire brigade and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the scene, joined by neighbours and local residents, who initiated rescue efforts. By late night, 17 people were pulled out of the debris. Seven others sustained injuries, of whom one remains in critical condition and is currently under treatment.

The loud sound of the explosion sent shockwaves through the neighbourhood, leaving the people in panic. Neighbours, believing it to be an earthquake or a bomb blast, rushed out of their homes. Rashid, a resident of Ashapuri Colony, described the noise as “deafening, as if a bomb had been dropped.” Others recounted the fear and confusion that followed as smoke filled the area.

Upon realising that the house had collapsed, locals began digging through the rubble with their hands and makeshift tools, trying to reach those trapped beneath. Distraught residents expressed frustration at the delay in rescue equipment reaching the site. Many alleged that if the JCB machine had arrived on time, some lives could have been saved.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the explosion and the circumstances surrounding the incident. The police are working to determine if there were any safety lapses in handling the oxygen cylinder.