Scrap dealer killed in explosion

A scrap dealer was killed and one other injured when a powerful explosion rocked his residence in Shekhupura Basti area here today, police said.
Tanuj Kumar was trying to sort out the junk in an open space at his residence when the blast was reported, they said.
Kumar's domestic helper M Raja, who was sitting besides him, suffered serious injuries in the explosion, police said.
The impact of the blast was so severe that the parts of Kumar's body were blown off and some splinters were detected in a neighbouring government school building, they said.
Both were rushed to
a Ludhiana hospital, where Kumar was

declared brought dead and doctors declared Raja's condition as critical.

An expert team of Army officials was requisitioned from Patiala to ascertain the facts related to the blast, SSP Harcharan Singh Bhullar said
Preliminary investigations by Army officials indicated that it was a blast of some compressor either of air- conditioner or some refrigerator, he said.
It was also being probed that as to how Kumar, who had a shop in the outskirts of the town, operated from the densely populated residential area, the police official said.