SURAT: Three charred bodies were recovered from Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot in Hazira that was engulfed in a massive fire on Saturday.
The fire, which erupted at about 12.30 pm in a diesel tank, was extinguished after 24 hours on Sunday. At least 75 fire tenders and 30 water tankers used more than 80 lakh litres of water and 70 lakh litres of foam to put out the fire.
The fire reportedly started after a blast in tank no. 4, which contained nearly 55 lakh litres of diesel, during a welding work by three technicians to repair a leak. Two deceased have been identified as Jalandhar Raisingh Chaudhary, 38, from Bihar, and Rahul Sharda, 20, from Uttar Pradesh. They were welders on contract. The third body is yet to be identified.Meanwhile, the estimated loss in the fire has been put at Rs 45 crore.
Union minister for petroleum and natural gas M Veerappa Moily said here that an investigation has been ordered by the IOC management to ascertain the causes of the fire and submit a report by January 20.
However, there were no answers for who gave permission for the welding work in the tank that contained diesel and why the depot lacked fire safety equipment. IOC Hazira doesn't have a single fire fighter and its fire pump house was not functioning when the fire struck.
Moily announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased and added that their families would be rehabilitated.The Gujarat government too has ordered an inquiry.
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