A young man in Greater Noida sustained severe injuries after a western toilet seat exploded in a residential home, allegedly due to a methane gas buildup. The shocking incident took place on Saturday around 3 PM in Sector-36 under the Beta-2 police station limits.
Toilet Seat Blast Leaves Youth Seriously Injured
Twenty-year-old Ashu was using the toilet when the seat burst just as he flushed. The explosion left the upper part of his body, hands, legs, and private parts badly burnt. Alarmed by the loud bang, family members rushed to the spot and immediately transported him to the district hospital. Doctors treating Ashu said that recovery will take time due to the severity of the burns.
Possible Methane Gas Build-Up Blamed
Ashu’s father, Sunil Pradhan, suspects the blast occurred due to methane gas accumulation in the toilet shaft. “The toilet is used regularly and there is a shaft between the toilet and the kitchen, in which the exhaust of the AC is installed. This explosion may have happened due to the accumulation of gas in the toilet, which should be investigated,” he said.
Harendra Bhati, an Active Citizen Team member, also pointed fingers at poor sewer infrastructure. “Earlier, vent pipes were installed in toilets so that methane gas could easily escape into the atmosphere. But now that gas gets stuck inside the pipe, which increases the possibility of such dangerous accidents,” he said.
Authorities Promise Probe
Residents claim that a broken sewer line near the P-3 roundabout has remained unrepaired for over a year and a half, potentially causing dangerous gas accumulation. They accused local authorities of negligence.
Responding to the incident, Greater Noida Authority ACEO Srilakshmi VS said, “This is the first such case and it will be investigated. The gases inside the sewer contain elements like methane, hydrogen sulphide. These are formed during anoxygenic decomposition, which can be explosive.”
As Ashu fights for recovery, residents demand an urgent audit of sewer systems in the area to prevent such tragic mishaps in the future.
