INDIA: Fuel depot fire kills three and injures nearly 100

Record ID: 379611

  • Title: INDIA: Fuel depot fire kills three and injures nearly 100
  • Date: 30th October 2009
  • Summary: JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, INDIA (OCTOBER 29, 2009) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) AN AMBULANCE ARRIVING AT THE SAWAI MAN SINGH (SMS) HOSPITAL IN JAIPUR SIGNBOARD OF SMS HOSPITAL CROWD SURROUNDING THE AMBULANCE OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL'S EMERGENCY WARD HOSPITAL WARD WHERE INJURED ARE BEING TREATED MUKIL ANSARI, ONE OF THE INJURED WITH A BANDAGED HEAD, LYING ON A BED AN IV DRIP BEING ADMINISTERED TO A PATIENT (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) MUKIL ANSARI, ONE OF THE INJURED SAYING: "We were working on the third floor when we heard a loud explosion and then something hit me on the head. We all ran downstairs and I felt pain in my head. When I put my hand on the head it was full of blood, there was a huge wound and blood was pouring out of my head." INJURED LYING ON BEDS IN THE HOSPITAL'S TRAUMA WARD MORE OF INJURED (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SHANKAR SINGH, A VOLUNTEER AND AN EYEWITNESS SAYING: "One of the oil tanks caught fire and then it spread rapidly. There were huge flames as high as 70 feet and the whole area of nearly 2-3 kilometres was engulfed in fire and flames." HEALTH MINISTER OF RAJASTHAN STATE, AIMADUDDIN AHMAD KHAN, ARRIVING AT THE HOSPITAL ONE OF THE INJURED LYING ON A BED RAJASTHAN HEALTH MINISTER AIMADUDDIN AHMAD KHAN TALKING TO ONE OF THE INJURED FACE OF THE INJURED (SOUNDBITE) (English) AIMADUDDIN AHMAD KHAN, HEALTH MINISTER OF RAJASTHAN STATE, SAYING: "The latest information we have is that there are about 20 injured in Sawai Man Singh (hospital), about 15 in Fortis (hospital) and another 50 in Mahatma Gandhi hospital because that is the closest hospital to the place of fire." KHAN TAKING STOCK OF THE SITUATION FROM HOSPITAL AUTHORITIES
  • Embargoed: 14th November 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA4ZGLUXMOO7J3B3T8P867Y3GRR
  • Story Text: A huge fire broke out at an Indian Oil Coporation (IOC) fuel depot in the outskirts of Jaipur, capital of the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, killing at least three and injuring nearly 100 people.
    The blaze at the depot in Sitapura industrial area started at around 7.30 pm (1400 GMT) and quickly spread to some adjoining industrial units, with massive flames rising from the area.
    Most of the injured were being taken to the three main hospitals in the city and at the state-run Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital most of the injured were blast victims with splinters in their bodies.
    Mukil Ansari, one of the injured told Reuters Television at the SMS hospital that there was a deafening explosion and something hit him on his head.
    "We were working on the third floor when we heard a loud explosion and then something hit me on the head. We all ran downstairs and I felt pain in my head. When I put my hand on the head it was full of blood, there was a huge wound and blood was pouring out of my head," Ansari said.
    Two villages near the depot were evacuated and power was cut off across the region as a precautionary measure.
    Shankar Singh, a volunteer and an eyewitness said fire could be seen for kilometres.
    "One of the oil tanks caught fire and then it spread rapidly. There were huge flames as high as 70 feet and the whole area of nearly 2-3 kilometres was englufed in fire and flames," Singh said.
    All four containers in the depot have exploded and the army has joined in rescue operations.
    Several ambulances and fire fighting vehicles were rushed to the spot to contain the fire.
    Provincial Health Minister Aimdaduddin Ahmad Khan confirmed three people had died and nearly 100 were injured, with numbers likely to increase.
    "The latest information we have is that there are about 20 injured in Sawai Man Singh (hospital), about 15 in Fortis (hospital) and another 50 in Mahatma Gandhi hospital because that is the closest hospital to the place of fire," Khan said after meeting the injured in the hospital.
    Though officials have not commented on the reason of fire, locals said a cracker burst sparked the fire.
    The depot contains about nine million litres of fuel products.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register