title: Deaths Due to Accidental Air Conditioner Compressor Explosion: A Case Series.
abstract: In an air-conditioning system, the compressor is a large electric pump that pressurizes the refrigerant gas as part of the process of turning it back into a liquid. The explosion of an air conditioner (AC) compressor is an uncommon event, and immediate death resulted from the blast effect is not reported in forensic literature. We report three such cases in which young AC mechanics were killed on the spot due to compressor blast, while repairing the domestic split AC unit. The autopsy findings, the circumstances leading to the explosion of the compressor, are discussed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
authors.forename: Chittaranjan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Behera
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, DDU Hospital, New Delhi-110064, India.
authors.forename: Jatin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bodwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
authors.forename: Asit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sikary
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, MAMC, New Delhi-110002, India.
authors.forename: Mohit Singh
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
authors.forename: Manjul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bijarnia
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000328:Adult; D000389:Air Conditioning / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001344:Autopsy; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005107:Explosions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: accidental death; air conditioner; compressor blast; forensic pathology; forensic science; mechanic