MEERUT: Six members of a family, including a pregnant woman and a toddler, died, and two others were critically injured when an oxygen cylinder used by an ailing woman exploded inside their house in the Sikandrabad area of Bulandshahr, police said on Tuesday. The blast in Ashapuri Colony, Bulandshahr, around 8 pm on Monday, flattened the two-storey house and caused tremors that could be felt as far as 500 metres away.The family home also served as a warehouse for storing construction materials.
The deceased include 50-year-old Mohd Riyazuddin, his wife Rukhsana, 45, their two sons Aas Mohammad, 26, and Salman, 16, daughter Tamanna, 24, and her 3-year-old daughter Hifza. Two of Riyazuddin’s other sons, Shahrukh, 26, and Siraj, 30, were critically injured, with Shahrukh referred to a hospital in Delhi.
Tamanna’s husband, Mohd Rizwan, who resides in Dadri, said: “She was nine months pregnant and was here to visit her ailing mother. She was supposed to return on Tuesday, but the tragedy struck just the night before. I lost my wife, daughter, and unborn child. I don’t know how I’ll explain this to my 5-year-old son.”
A local, Mohd Adnan, said: “The blast was so powerful that houses as far as 500 metres away shook. When we arrived at the scene, the house was reduced to rubble, and people were screaming for help. The police and rescue teams soon arrived, and the bodies were pulled from the debris in pieces.” The last rites for the deceased were performed on Tuesday afternoon.
CM Yogi Adityanath took note of the incident, directing officials to visit the site and ensure the injured received medical care. Bulandshahr DM Chandra Prakash Singh said 18 people lived in the house. “The iron beams of house’s roof had to be cut using gas cutters, and an excavator was deployed to clear the debris.”