‘No one to take him’: Family says Delhi CNG pump worker ‘lay bleeding' for 30 mins after blast

The family of a 25-year-old worker killed in the CNG cylinder explosion at a fuel station in Delhi's Tikri Kalan has alleged that he remained bleeding at the spot for nearly 30 minutes before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital. Manish, who had worked at the CNG station near Tikri Kalan Metro Station for around three years, was among three people killed when a gas cylinder exploded during refuelling on Wednesday afternoon.

His uncle Vijay Prasad said the family received a phone call informing them about the explosion and Manish's condition, prompting relatives to rush to the fuel station. When they arrived, they found the 25-year-old lying on the ground with serious injuries.

‘He had lost so much blood’

Prasad alleged that Manish remained at the station for around half an hour before he could be taken in an ambulance to Safdarjung Hospital. “He lay there for half an hour. He had lost so much blood. How could anyone survive?” Prasad said.

According to his uncle, Manish had reported for duty at around 2 pm. The explosion occurred roughly 30 to 45 minutes later. Prasad said he was initially informed over the phone that a cylinder had exploded and that his nephew was seriously injured. He then contacted his brother, following which several family members and others rushed to the scene.

The family alleged that there was nobody immediately available to take Manish to hospital and claimed that employees of the fuel station fled after the explosion. Prasad said Manish had already suffered significant blood loss by the time an ambulance became available.

Three killed, three critical

Police said three people died following the explosion, which occurred while CNG was being filled into a truck. Another employee of the filling station, identified as Sunny, died while undergoing treatment, police said. The identity of the third deceased was not immediately detailed.

Three other people suffered critical injuries and are undergoing treatment. According to the Delhi Fire Service, six people were standing close to the truck when the explosion took place. The injured were subsequently shifted to hospital.

The incident triggered panic at the fuel station as emergency personnel rushed to secure the area.

Fire service alerted at 3.37 pm

The Delhi Fire Service said it received information about the incident at 3.37 pm, following which six fire tenders were dispatched to the spot. The timing cited by the Fire Service is later than the approximate time of 2.30-2.45 pm given by Manish's uncle for the explosion. Authorities have not yet publicly clarified the difference between the two timelines. The family's account has also raised questions over the immediate emergency response following the blast, particularly the availability of medical assistance for those seriously injured. There was no immediate official response to the family's allegation that Manish had to wait for around 30 minutes before being taken to hospital.

Cause of blast under investigation

Police have yet to establish what caused the cylinder to explode during the refuelling operation. Investigators are expected to examine the vehicle and its CNG cylinder as well as the circumstances surrounding the refuelling process to determine the sequence of events leading to the explosion. The incident came during a routine afternoon shift for Manish, who had spent around three years working at the filling station.

For his family, however, questions now extend beyond what caused the explosion to what happened in the crucial minutes immediately afterwards. Their allegation that the severely injured worker remained at the scene while losing blood before medical help arrived is yet to be independently established and will require examination as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly blast.