NHRC notice on GAIL pipeline fire

The authority has issued notices and sought reports on the incident within two weeks

NHRC today issued notices to the Union Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas, GAIL and district authorities of East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, seeking reports over a deadly fire-blast, apparently after leakage from a gas pipeline, that claimed 19 lives.

The National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas, CMD, Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and District Magistrate of East Godavari and sought reports on the incident within two weeks, according to an NHRC statement.

A massive fire, triggered apparently after a tea vendor lit up a stove in the vicinity of a leaking GAIL pipeline running through residential areas of Nagaram village in East Godavari on June 27 had left 19 dead and several others injured.

According to reports, the people in the village had complained to the GAIL authorities about the gas leakage but no action was taken to rectify the same.