Mohali oxygen plant blast: Forensic team visits site, bodies handed over to kin after autopsy
A forensic team collected samples from the site to determine the cause of the blast. Police said they are waiting for the expert findings before proceeding with further legal action. The company management has assured compensation to the families of the deceased.
Akbar Ali, a housekeeper at the unit and one of the injured, said he had reached the factory around 8 am. He said his nephew, Asif, one of the deceased, had arrived around 8.30 am. The other deceased, Devinder, was loading cylinders onto a truck.
Ali said the night shift workers had left about half an hour before, and if the blast had happened earlier, 25 people could have died.
'Asif had gone to the washroom and had just stepped 3 to 5 metres outside when the blast occurred. Devinder was loading cylinders. I was near the rear door. Asif was closest to the cylinder that exploded. The impact pushed me against the door and my hand got fractured. For a moment, nothing was visible. We were afraid to step in, thinking another cylinder might explode,' Ali said.
He said that his nephew Asif had been living with him for the past two and a half years. 'He was like a son to me. I saw my child's body in the air, at least 30 feet high,' he added.
Phase-11 SHO Aman Baidwan said that the forensic team has taken samples and the matter is under investigation.
The Punjab State and Chandigarh Human Rights Commission, comprising chairperson justice Sant Parkash and member justice Gurbir Singh, has directed senior officials in Mohali to submit reports on the incident before November 13.
Vivek Kapoor, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mohali, described the incident as unfortunate. He said, 'This company has been operating for many years and even contributed significantly during the COVID-19 period by ensuring oxygen supply. What matters is the safety and well-being of the workers.' He said that it is important for companies to ensure proper training of workers.
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