A catastrophic LPG cylinder explosion completely demolished a refilling shop on Teer Baba Road in west Delhi’s Uttam Nagar locality at precisely 6:20 pm on Wednesday evening, generating a deafening blast that reverberated across several blocks and instantly transformed the storefront into a raging inferno. The force of the detonation hurled debris hundreds of feet, set an adjacent parked scooter ablaze, and severely damaged a neighbouring crockery store while shattering glass panes of nearby residential buildings.
Delhi Fire Services received the emergency call at 6:34 pm and immediately deployed seven fire tenders to combat what was classified as a high-intensity incident involving commercial-grade cylinders. Firefighters faced extreme heat and thick black smoke upon arrival, requiring coordinated efforts with water cannons and foam suppressants to prevent the flames from spreading to densely packed surrounding shops and homes.
After more than an hour of intense operations, the blaze was fully extinguished by 7:50 pm, with cooling procedures continuing to eliminate any risk of re-ignition from residual gas pockets. Officials confirmed that, remarkably, no injuries or fatalities were recorded, a outcome attributed to the shop being closed for the day and the incident occurring before peak evening foot traffic in the bustling commercial area.
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Police have cordoned off the site and launched a detailed investigation involving forensic experts and the local gas agency to determine the exact cause, with early indications pointing toward a possible leak from a 19-kg commercial cylinder during refilling or storage. Authorities are examining whether mandatory safety protocols, including pressure testing and leak detection systems, were followed by the shop owner.
The explosion serves as a stark reminder of the persistent dangers posed by commercial LPG handling in congested urban neighbourhoods, prompting renewed warnings from civic bodies for stricter enforcement of safety guidelines, regular cylinder maintenance, and immediate reporting of gas odours to avert future disasters.
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