Noida: Blast in toilet causes fire, 20-year-old man injured

Noida, May 15 (PTI) A 20-year-old man suffered burn injuries after an explosion in toilet at his home in Sector 36 of Greater Noida leads to fire, his family members said claiming that the incident occurred due to accumulation of methane gas in sewer line.

The incident took place on May 3, when Ashu Nagar, a student of Class 12, was using the western-style toilet at his home and a blast occurred as he flushed, causing a fire, his father Sunil Pradhan said.

Ashu suffered burns on his face, hands and feet. He was not using any electronic gadgets at the time, Pradhan said, adding that the explosion was sudden and intense," Pradhan said.

He claimed the blast was caused by a buildup of methane gas in the sewer line.

His son, who has suffered burn injuries on 35 to 40 per cent of his body, is undergoing treatment at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), he added.

Officials from the local authority visited the family and sought 10 days to complete their investigation into the incident, Pradhan said.

Residents of the area alleged that although the authority had earlier installed pipes for methane extraction at various locations, they were currently non-functional.

They demanded immediate repairs to the sewer line and the installation of proper vent pipes to prevent gas buildup.

"A portion of the sewer line near the P-3 roundabout has been broken for the past one-and-a-half years. Despite several complaints, no action has been taken by the officials concerned," a local said.

When contacted, AP Verma, Senior Manager at the authority, said, "The sewer line system in the area is functioning properly. The explosion may have occurred due to an internal issue within the house. Vent pipes are operational." PTI COR OZ OZ