Fire breaks out in a gas pipeline in Greater Noida

An IGL pipeline caught fire in Greater Noida due to unauthorized JCB excavation work; no injuries reported, but a bike and handcart were destroyed.

An Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) pipeline caught fire on Thursday due to alleged unauthorised JCB excavation work underway in Site-4, Greater Noida, police said, adding that no injuries were reported, but a nearby bike and handcart were gutted by the fire.

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According to Indrapal Singh, Greater Noida’s fire officer, the fire control room received an alert about the incident around 3 pm on Thursday. “Swift action was taken as a team of fire tenders rapidly reached the site, successfully extinguishing the fire within half an hour,” he said.

Singh added, “The flames were subdued using three fire tenders. A bike and a handcart fell victim to the fire. Prima Facie, it appears that the fire originated during road excavation work involving a JCB.”

“As soon as the fire caught in the gas pipeline, the JCB driver fled the spot along with the vehicle,” he added.

Pradeep Kumar Chaubey, chief fire officer, said, “The unauthorized activity led to the pipeline fire, as no notification was provided to IGL. The fire was effectively doused, resulting in no casualties.”

An IGL official, requesting anonymity, said, “Due to technical complications, gas supply to industrial and commercial customers in the Greater Noida industrial zone will be disrupted for approximately two hours. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to our valued customers.”