High-level committee to probe IOC fire

A high-level committee of the Petroleum Ministry will probe the causes behind the fire at the IOC fuel facility on the outskirts of the city and suggest future safety measures at oil and gas depots.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said this after talks with Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who arrived here to take stock of the situation arising out of the blaze raging for over 16 hours.

He said Deora announced an exgratia of Rs 10 lakh to next of the kin of the deceased and Rs. Two lakh to those injured in the incident.

Gehlot said there might be five or six persons trapped inside the inferno but this would be confirmed only after the fire is put out.

Last night the Gehlot government had announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased, Rs. One lakh to the seriously injured and Rs.50,000 to those who have received minor injuries.

With a charred body lying in the IOC premises, the toll has gone up to six though the government said four persons had lost their lives. Around 150 people were injured in the fire but most of them were discharged after first aid.

The fire broke out at around 7.30 PM when petrol was being transferred from the depot to a pipeline and soon got out of control. A leak in the pipeline is suspected to have caused the blaze.