AC blast at ATM counter creates panic in Sahibabad

GHAZIABAD: A blast at a private bank’s ATM kiosk in Sahibabad’s Lajpatnagar on Wednesday afternoon triggered panic in the area. Police said that the incident occurred as the compressor of the air conditioner exploded. However, no one was at the kiosk at the time of the explosion.
“It appears that the split AC, which should have been ideally kept inside the ATM centre, was installed at the entrance and it caused the explosion.However, the exact cause of blast can be ascertained only after a probe. The intensity of the explosion shattered the glass doors of the ATM and shops adjacent to it,” said Upender Yadav, SHO, Shahibabad police station.
“At 1.30 pm, we heard a deafening sound as if there was a bomb explosion. We rushed towards the ATM centre and saw glass shreds strewn all over and smoke emanating from split AC installed outside the bank. A mobile showroom and a cosmetic shop adjacent to the ATM kiosk were also damaged,” said Arun Chandravanshi, who works at a nearby shop in Ashok Vatika.
The guard of the ATM centre is missing since the incident, officials said.