Chemical drum explodes, woman injured

A 19-year-old woman was injured this afternoon when a drum containing some inflammable chemical caught fire and exploded in the Swaroop Nagar area of northwest Delhi.

The victim, identified as Sunita (19), is a housewife. She has been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

"The blast took place in a chemical drum and was so powerful that it blew away the roof of the house and shattered the windowpanes of a neighbouring house," said a senior police official.

Police is trying to ascertain as to how come the chemical was stored in the house.

The fire department said that it got a call about the emergency at 2:20 P.M. Following which two fire tenders were rushed to the spot. It took the firefighters 40 minutes to douse the flames.