India: Oil Depot Fire Continued to Burn at Week-end

Officials were waiting for the fuel stock to burn out.  "We have taken steps to see that the fire does not spread much, nothing much can be done except wait for the fire to extinguish on its own," a district official said. He said the fire should be controlled in the next 24-36 hours (by Monday).

The blaze broke out at the Indian Oil's depot in Sitapura industrial area, about 20 km from Jaipur city centre, at 7:15 pm last Thursday evening.  "At least five people have been killed in the accident," said Jaipur District Collector Kuldeep Ranka. As the depot fire raged, the administration evacuated residential areas, colleges and shut down industrial units in a three-kilometre radius. Roads in a five-kilometre radius have been blocked by the administration.  The army was also pressed into action to help in the rescue efforts.

Indian Oil rushed firefighting teams from Delhi, Panipat in Haryana and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, while the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation sent a support team from Hazira in Gujarat.  Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora visisted the accident site on Friday along with Indian Oil chairman Sarthak Behuri and other senior company officials.

Deora also announced that a high-level enquiry committee has been set up, to be headed by former chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd M.B. Lal. The committee has been given six weeks to submit a report to the petroleum ministry.

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