AC was switched on, says kin of mechanic who died in blast in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad: The family of a 35-year-old technician who died when the compressor of an AC exploded on the roof of a restaurant on Saturday has alleged that someone had switched on the machine while he was at work, causing the explosion.

Following a complaint by the family, an FIR has been registered against unknown persons under Section 106 of BNS for causing death by negligence.

Pintu Kumar died at the spot while his colleague Puran was critically injured when the AC compressor burst during a gas refill operation at Walk in the Woods restaurant in Vaishali's Sector 4 on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred around 2.10pm.

"My brother had been repairing ACs and electrical items for five years. We had begged him to quit after seeing news reports of AC explosions last year, but he assured us nothing would happen to him as he was skilled at his job," said Atish Kumar, Pintu's brother.

Kumar, who leaves behind a wife and two children, had received a call from restaurant owner Ved Bansal around noon on Saturday for the repair work.

DCP (trans-Hindon) Nimish Patil said a special team had been formed to investigate the cause of death.

The region has seen a number of AC-related accidents in the region. Between April 1 and June 5 this year, Noida and Ghaziabad recorded 117 fire incidents due to AC explosions — 85 in Noida and 32 in Ghaziabad.

Ankush Kumar, another AC mechanic, said nitrogen left in the system could pose a significant explosion risk. "The severity depends on the quantity of nitrogen present. While we use nitrogen to detect leaks, its complete removal is crucial before refill operation," he added.

He said other factors like electrical faults, refrigerant issues, excessive heat build-up, and poor maintenance could cause sudden discharge of pressurised refrigerant and oil, potentially leading to explosions or fires.