UP: 5 Killed As Building Collapses After Gas Cylinder Blast In Bulandshahr

The Chief Medical Officer of Bulandshahr confirmed the death of five people in the incident and said that three were injured, of which the condition of one is critical

At least five people were killed and three injured following a cylinder blast which led to a house collapse in the Sikandrabad area of Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district, late on Monday night. Of the three people injured in the accident, one is critical, said District Magistrate of Bulandshahr Chandra Prakash Singh. 

As per the District Magistrate, the incident occurred in the Ashapuri colony of Sikandrabad between 8.30 pm and 9.00 pm on Monday evening in the house of one Riyazuddin, who was involved in shuttering work. Shuttering is the process of giving support and stability to the concrete before it becomes solid.

The blast led to the collapse of the entire house, the DM said, adding that there were 18-19 people in the house at the time incident. 

The Chief Medical Officer of Bulandshahr confirmed the death of five people in the incident and said that three were injured, of which the condition of one is critical. The official added that 10 people were safe.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police, Meerut Zone, Dhruva Kant Thakur said that some people were still trapped under the debris. The fire brigade team, police department team, municipal corporation team, medical team, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are at the spot, and rescue operations are underway.

When asked to describe what type of cylinder had exploded, the district magistrate said it would be made clear following an investigation. "Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) took immediate cognizance of the incident. We were sent to the spot and directions were issued that good quality treatment should be given to the injured persons," the DM said.

About the rescue operation, he said the iron beams of the roof of the house had to be pried open using gas cutters. At the same time, an excavator was pressed into action to clear the debris.

Senior Superintendent of Police of Bulandshahr Shlok Kumar said the bodies have been sent for post-mortem. Although the surviving family members have said that no one was trapped under the debris anymore, the rescue teams are taking all precautions while carrying out their work, he added.