Deaths Due to Accidental Air Conditioner Compressor Explosion: A Case Series
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Updated: Mar 11, 2026

A Model of Self-limited Acute Lung Injury by Unilateral Intra-bronchial Acid Instillation
Published on: August 30, 2019
Chittaranjan Behera1, Jatin Bodwal2, Asit K Sikary1
1Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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.
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