Debris Being Cleared, Toll Mounts To 39

A massive operation to clear the debris in the fire-ravaged refinery of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) began yesterday morning amidst fears of more bodies being trapped inside the storage complex.

The toll in the fire and the subsequent spate of explosions rose to 39 with the recovery of three more bodies and is likely to go up as a special team of experts have begun rummaging through the debris under the supervision of the Eastern Naval Command.

Only one of the storage tanks is still smouldering but with a far lesser intensity, Visakhapatnam city police commissioner R P Meena said.

Official sources here said that there were 170 persons inside the HPCL complex when the mishap occurred but it was not clear how many people were trapped inside. We will know the exact position only after the debris is cleared, sources said.

It is feared that over twenty bodies might still be trapped inside the flattened building.

With the fire showing signs of abating, people have started returning to their homes in the vicinity of the refinery, about 15 kms from the city. Over one lakh people had fled their homes after the massive fire and explosions had triggered panic in the area.

Vice-Admiral P S Das, flag officer commanding in chief of Eastern Naval Command was supervising the debris clearing operations.

The fire, which had started following an LPG leak at the marketing terminal of the refinery on Sunday, was put out after a hectic operation by fire-fighting personnel with the help of equipment flown in from Mumbai, Rajahmundry and Narsapur, an HPCL spokesman said.

As many as 14 special cranes and eight tippers were pressed into service to clear the debris in the refinery complex, Meena said.

Fire experts from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and HPCL, who were flown in here on Monday by an Indian Air Force aircraft, made relentless efforts to save the remaining storage tanks and the plant, sources said. HPCL officials put the loss in the fire at around Rs 70 crore but said the supply of LPG and other petroleum products would not be affected.

The government yesterday announced a high-level probe into the fire.Six buildings, including the administrative complex, CISF control room and canteen, were razed to the ground by the impact of the fire and the subsequent explosions.

Twelve persons, who received burn injuries, were undergoing treatment in city hospitals.