A tragic explosion of an oxygen cylinder in a Bulandshahr home claimed the lives of six family members, including a 45-year-old woman, her husband, and their three-year-old granddaughter. The incident occurred in the Sikandrabad area on Monday night, leading to the partial collapse of their two-storey house, which housed 19 family members.
The deceased have been identified as Rukhsana (45), her husband Riyazuddin (50), their sons Aas Mohammed (26) and Salman (16), their daughter Tamannah (24), and Tamannah’s child Hibza (3). Rukhsana had recently been discharged from the hospital and was being cared for at home.
On Tuesday, as the bodies returned home after the post-mortem, cries of grief filled the Ashapuri Colony where hundreds gathered to offer their condolences.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh confirmed the explosion took place between 8:30 and 9 pm, leading to significant damage to the house. Two or three others sustained injuries but are safe, officials added. “The cylinder blast was so powerful that it caused the collapse of the house’s roof,” Singh said, noting that gas cutters and excavators were used in the rescue efforts.
First responders and neighbors described the chaos that ensued after the explosion. “There was a loud explosion and then everything went dark. We had to use our phone torches to navigate through the thick dust,” said one neighbor. Another neighbor, Asif, added that locals rushed to help pull people from the rubble.
NDRF officer Neeraj Singh, who led the rescue operations, said efforts lasted about three hours. “We used various search methods to ensure no one was left in the debris,” he explained, adding that the local police and administration had already begun relief work by the time his team arrived.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences and instructed officials to ensure proper treatment for the injured. The cause of the explosion is being investigated, and the cylinder and its nozzle have been recovered for examination, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar.
Preparations for the last rites of the six victims are underway. Rizwan, the grieving husband of Tamannah, tearfully shared, “I lost my wife, daughter, and family all at once. I last spoke to her just hours before the blast.”
(With inputs from PTI)