Loud blast, chemical smell shake Rohini
Residents of Delhi’s Rohini area woke up to the sound of a loud blast on Sunday morning. Its vibrations were felt in faraway houses, hundreds of metres away, they said.
Locals said there was a “chemical-like” smell at the site and thick white smoke everywhere as panic gripped the Paschim Vihar area after the blast happened near a CRPF school.
“It wasn’t like a firecracker, the sound was incredibly loud. And for 15-20 minutes, there was just smoke everywhere,” said Kiran Sachdeva, a resident of the locality.
She described the blast as an “earthquake-like” shock, and said her house was about 200-250 m away from the site.
Local businesses were affected by the explosion, with the fire brigade, police, bomb squad as well as a team of the NIA and NSG visiting the area to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
The usually-bustling streets were eerily quiet, with all shops and kiosks closed and their glass windows and signboards shattered.
Himanshu Kohli, a shopkeeper, said when he heard the blast, he ran towards the spot. He said white smoke filled the air and a strong, chemical-like smell emanated from the site.
“Glass windows and boards were broken. I got scared and returned to my shop,” Kohli said.
Parents of schoolchildren, though relieved that it happened on a Sunday, couldn’t help but wonder what could have been.
“My son studies in Class IX at that (CRPF) school. I couldn’t help but be worried about him,” said Rita Singh, another Paschim Vihar resident.
Anita Singh had just returned from the temple when she heard the “very loud explosion”.
“I felt the vibrations in my house. It felt like someone’s cylinder had exploded nearby. My children’s school bus comes here and usually we stand at this (near the school) gate in the morning.
“But since today was Sunday, nobody got hurt. I shudder to think about how big a disaster it could have been if it had happened during the weekdays,” she said. Anish Malhotra (35) woke up in fear when he heard the explosion.
“When I came outside, it was all smoky, but thankfully it was Sunday, and schools were closed, because there are two schools adjacent to each other here, he said.
Yet, people are wondering about the lingering smell of chemicals, which has heightened tension in the area, Malhotra said. People also noted that the blast occurred in the festive season — many are observing Karwa Chauth on Sunday and Diwali is also approaching — when streets are filled with crowds.
“This road is pretty busy, and if it had happened in the evening, I don’t know how much damage could have occurred,” Dhiraj Parana said.
