Day after blast: One petrol pump worker dead, another missing

BHUBANESWAR: One of the persons injured in Wednesday’s explosion at a petrol pump near the Raj Bhawan here succumbed to his wounds at SCB Medical college and Hospital in Cuttack on Thursday.
At least nine people had suffered burns following the blast at the auto LPG dispensing station on the premises of the petrol pump. Police have also confirmed that another man, who was present at the site during the explosion, was still untraceable.
The deceased was identified as Satya Nayak (48) and the missing person as Simanchal Parida (40), both residents of Ganjam district.
Police said a Faridabad-based company had engaged Nayak and Parida, besides three others, namely Gokulananda Nayak of Athgarh area in Cuttack district, Alekh Mallick of Khurda district and Ripudeman Srivastav of Uttar Pradesh, to periodically inspect and maintain the auto LPG filling unit.
IOC ex gratia for those killed, hurt in fuel stn blast
Srivastav, an engineer, was the leader of this team. The others were contractual technicians of the Faridabad-based company.
“Prima facie investigation shows the five persons were testing the auto LPG station’s vessels using hydro and nitrogen tests. Safety and other technical aspects were being checked by the team when a suspected leak of highly inflammable gas led to the blast. Post-testing, the team was to refill the gas canisters from a tanker at around 3 pm. The tragedy occurred around 1.50 pm,” a police official said.
While the cause of the explosion is being separately probed by the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and commissionerate police, the authorities of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) said they suspected the blast occurred due to leak of auto LPG.
Parida’s family members urged police to find him. “We have checked all the hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The petrol pump authorities found his purse and identity card,” Manmay Parida, cousin of the missing person, said.
Police said efforts were being made to find Parida. “We found some injured body parts near the blast site on Wednesday and sent them for forensic testing. If required, we will conduct DNA test of the parts,” commissioner of police Sudhanshu Sarangi said.
The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) on Thursday announced Rs 8 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased, Rs 4 lakh for the seriously injured and Rs 1 lakh for those with milder injuries.

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