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LPG tank at petrol station near Odisha Guv house catches fire, 9 injured
Police commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi said the explosion and the fire were so massive that they damaged several buildings nearby
Nine persons received major burns and other injuries after an auto LPG tank in a petrol pump in Bhubaneswar near the Governor House caught fire, triggering a massive explosion around Wednesday noon.
Police commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi said people were queuing up in the Indian Oil petrol pump near Governor House at around 1.12 pm when the LPG tanker caught fire while gas was being unloaded from it to gas canisters underground. The incident left 9 persons with major burn injuries on their face and back, out of them 2 were rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition turned critical.
“The explosion and the fire was so massive that it damaged several buildings nearby. It took us over two hours to control the fire. Many people who were injured also received injuries due to flying debris. A bigger disaster was averted as two underground petrol and diesel tanks did not catch fire,” said the police commissioner. The blast left not only injured all the employees of the pump, but also customers and commuters in the periphery.
Soon after the blast, severed limbs and chunks of flesh were found near the site. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced free treatment for all the injured. Officials said the blast was too severe.
Police started an investigation into the blast incident after registering a criminal case. Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan also ordered officials to probe the fire accident.
An eyewitness said soon after the explosion, a huge column of fire leapt towards the sky that kept burning and spewing black smoke all over. “The fire blinded us for quite sometime after which we felt a massive earthquake. I just ran for my life and received injuries on my head and hands. I was lucky to escape the explosion,” said the youth.
Another youth who had queued up to refill his bike also said he felt a massive earthquake followed by a massive explosion. “All that I could do was run for my life. The sound was so intense that I am unable to hear properly, even two hours after the blast,” he said.
As the petrol pump is just next to the Odisha Governor’s House, several window panes there were broken. People living in several other houses in the area too reported broken windows and falling debris. The impact of the explosion was felt within 3 km of the petrol pump’s area.
