NEW DELHI: Several residents were feared trapped after a single-storey house collapsed following an LPG cylinder blast in north Delhi’s Mukundpur area on Tuesday morning, a Delhi Fire Service official said.The incident occurred at Gali No. 1, Part-2, Ishu Vihar, near the cremation ground, the official said.A distress call reporting the blast was received at 9.37am, with the caller informing authorities that several residents were feared trapped under the debris.“We got information that a blast took place and a building collapsed due to which some people are trapped. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched operations,” the officer said. Five rescue vehicles were immediately dispatched to the site, he added.DCP, Outer District, Hareshwar Swami said, “We received a call this morning at around 9.30am reporting that a blast has caused a building to collapse. Our Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) was patrolling this vicinity, and some local police personnel residing nearby responded immediately to the situation. We have successfully rescued about 11 individuals, who are currently undergoing treatment…a factory engaged in colouring utensils operated at this location…the activity of transferring gas from larger cylinders into smaller ones was being carried out here.”He added, “It was this operation that led to the cylinder explosion…NDRF teams, Delhi Fire Service, and the local police are present, and they have completed the primary rescue operations…there are no individuals trapped inside. NDRF team is conducting further search operations and the dog squad is also present…it appears that an illegal operation was likely underway here…we have recovered several cylinders from the site, and we will proceed to complete the necessary legal formalities…”
