New Delhi: One left his studies after Class X to support his family, the other took on the responsibility for the education of his elder brother’s children after their father’s death.On Wednesday, both young lives were tragically cut short. Manish (25) and Sunny (30) were killed in an accidental blast at a CNG station in Outer Delhi’s Tikri Kalan, shattering their families who depended on them as their primary breadwinners. For their relatives, the tragedy didn’t take away their loved ones, but also left them struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of emotional and financial support.Manish’s relative Rajan told TOI the family had celebrated his wedding anniversary just last month. Manish and his wife appeared happy and were looking forward to raising their five-month-old son, Rajan said.Manish, a resident of Baba Haridas Colony, began working at fuel stations after his class X board exams to support his father, who is employed at an inverter-battery factory. However, the father’s earnings were extremely low, Rajan said. For the past two years, Manish had been working at the Tikri Kalan CNG pump. It was an important source of income for the family, especially as his father was frequently ill and Manish used to take care of his medical expenses.Manish’s uncle Vijay Prasad said the family has decided to donate his eyes.Sunny, meanwhile, had shouldered a major responsibility after his elder brother died in 2021, stepping in to look after his two children, aged eight and five, and taking responsibility for their education and day-to-day needs.“Both children were studying at a private school in the Nizampur area of Haryana, where Sunny lived with his family. He was the one who paid their school fees and took care of their other expenses,” his relative Balraj said.Balraj said Sunny was the sole breadwinner, earning about Rs 12,000 a month. He had previously worked at several petrol and CNG pumps, and was employed at the Tikri Kalan station for the past three-four years.The third victim, Brahmjeet (34), who was also employed at the CNG station, used to live with his wife and their child in Nizampur, his relative Aditya said. He was injured in the blast and succumbed later.Issuing a statement, Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) Thursday said: “A preliminary investigation indicated the truck involved in the blast was authorised to carry only six CNG cylinders, but may have been fitted with additional cylinders at the time of the incident. The legitimacy of the additional cylinders and the exact cause of the blast are being investigated by the relevant authorities. IGL is following all protocols applicable in case of such incidents.”The pump, IGL added, was owned and operated by Aadhya Energies.Meanwhile, police have registered a case under a section of negligence and mechanical inspection of the truck has been held.
