Three workers were killed and another 16 injured in an explosion at a powerhouse in Aligarh on Saturday.
Preliminary investigations revealed that an oxygen cylinder exploded inside the powerhouse, while the labourers were carrying out some repair work in the cylinder.
The injured were rushed to a hospital where one of the injured was in a critical condition having sustained severe burns.
District Magistrate, Balkar Singh announced compensation of one lakh rupees to the families of those killed while the injured will be treated free of cost and given rupees 50,000 also.
"It seems a cylinder blew up inside the power house and caused a grill to fall down and glasses to shatter. Some repair work was going on in the cylinder. Three were killed in the blast and 16 have been injured. All the injured have been sent to the hospital," said Balkar Singh.
Angry locals clashed with police alleging more people died in the accident and the administration was hushing up the matter.
"Three days back, a worker had died inside the powerhouse and today a cylinder blast killed many people. The administration is not letting us go inside and bodies of workers are being buried inside," said Anand Kumar, a protester.
Protesters pelted stones at police and set two motorbikes on fire. The police baton-charged and fired tear gas to disperse the mob.
Singh trashed claims of the protesters and said that the mob was a group of temporary workers who held a personal grudge against the management of the power house.
"According to preliminary reports, services of some temporary workers were terminated after completion of work at the power house and it was due to their personal grievance that these people resorted to spreading rumours that there were more deaths in this incident and demanded to go inside and see for themselves," said Balkar Singh.
He added that the personnel of paramilitary Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) did not allow people inside to avoid any untoward incident.
The police was soon able to get the situation under control.
