6 kids, guard injured in Delhi as drum explodes in bonfire

January 10th, 2011 - 9:13 pm ICT by IANS  

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Six children and a security guard Monday suffered burn injuries in South Delhi’s Okhla industrial area after an empty chemical drum exploded in the bonfire around which they were sitting, police said. They were rushed to Safdarjung Hospital. The children, ragpickers and residents of Sanjay Colony, and the guard were trying to keep themselves warm by the fire when the drum exploded and the fire engulfed them, according to a fire service official.

The accident occurred around 8.30 a.m. in Okhla industrial area Phase II when somebody dropped the 20-kg drum, which had some chemicals left inside, into the fire, he said.

Subhash, the security guard, and children Vijay (9), Neelam (9), Ankush, Babli, Sammer and Jatin (all 11-year-olds) were rushed to Safdarjung Hospital with burn injuries.

Neelam suffered 60 percent burns while Ankush and Vijay suffered 55 percent injuries, according to the official. The other three had only minor injuries and were discharged from the hospital during the day.

“A case has been registered and we are waiting for the statements of the all the injured,” a senior police officer told IANS.

sks/prv/vt

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