HYDERABAD, July 26: Lapse in safety measures in filling and loading oxygen cylinders has been feared to have caused the explosion which killed four people and injured six others at the oxygen filling plant here on Wednesday night.

No official was available to confirm whether an inspection of the plant was recently carried out.

A powerful explosion was heard at around 11.30pm after some of the oxygen cylinders that were being loaded in a Dadu bound vehicle exploded one after the other.

Vehicle's windowpanes were smashed. More than 10 people were present inside the plant when the explosion occurred at the Maan Enterprises that has been in the area since 1992.

There was a complete chaos on Wednesday night after the explosion which also affected power supply to the area.

There was also a confusion regarding exact numbers of casualties which was verified in the wee small hours.

A religious seminary was also located adjacent to the plant.

“When I arrived I found three bodies on the floor and blood on platform of cylinders,” said the supervising police officer Site, Irfan Bhutto.

Later, another body was found from the debris besides injured, who were shifted to civil and Bhittai Hospital through Edhi ambulances.

The deceased were identified as Alamgir, 25, son of Abdul Rasheed Rajput; Jameel Ahmed, 36, son of Maqbool Ahmed Shaikh; Sher Mohammad, 25, son of Ali Murad Meerani; and Naqash, 22, son of Abdur Rab.

The injured included Irfan, 22; Kamran Mirza, 35; the manager, Nabi Bux; Adil; Hadi Bux and Waqar alias Dada.

Kamran received 96 per cent burn wounds besides head injuries and fracture in arm. He was admitted to an intensive care unit of Civil Hospital and according to doctors in a critical condition. He couldn't be shifted to Karachi because he was on artificial ventilation.

District nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Latifabad taluka nazim Sabir Kaimkhani and DPO Hyderabad Imran Shaukat arrived on the spot to supervise the rescue works.

“The vehicle had been loaded with cylinders and only three being lifted for loading when first blast occurred. I was standing in the vehicle when I got a jerk. I immediately jumped and fell on the floor, causing severe pain in my hands,” said Irfan, who was admitted in civil hospital with fracture in both hands. He said Naqash, Sher Mohammad, Alamgir, Waqar Dada and Sain Rabban were present there.

Maan Enterprises was owned by Meer Najamuddin. His son, Azfar Najam runs the plant. He had left the plant for some work when the explosion occurred. His family lives in the premises of the plant. “It’s an American plant, that was working very well and I failed to understand how it happened,” Azfar told Dawn.

Around three to four Mazda vehicles which could carry more than 90 cylinders arrived and left for different cities from the plant.

It is in addition to those small pick-ups that also take the delivery of cylinders. A BOC private limited sign board, which was displayed at the plant, contains eight benchmarks of safety measures during operation of the plant and filling of cylinders.