Odisha: Explosion at fuel pump shakes Bhubaneswar, 9 hurt

BHUBANESWAR: A massive explosion ripped through a fuel pump close to Raj Bhawan on Wednesday, leaving behind a pile of debris and nine injured, two of them critical.
The blast, which occurred at an auto LPG dispensing station on the premises of the petrol pump, was so severe that a number of houses belonging to ministers, IAS and IPS officers within 500-metre radius developed cracks.
Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has ordered a probe to be headed by department secretary Tarun Kapoor, while chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced free medical treatment for the injured.
Five fire tenders fought for nearly half an hour to douse the flame, its thick smoke visible several kilometres away.
The injured were initially taken to the nearby Capital Hospital from where two of them were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition worsened. A couple of injured petrol pump staff were rushed to the hospital on two-wheelers by their colleagues even before the ambulances could arrive.
The incident took place at around 1.50 in the afternoon. Several people had lined with their vehicles for fuel when the explosion occurred. The blast ripped through the petrol pump with parts of its damaged roof flying several metres away. People scurried for cover, leaving behind their vehicles. At least a dozen two-wheelers and five four-wheelers were damaged after parts of the broken roof of the petrol pump and other structures landed on them.
Commissioner of police Sudhanshu Sarangi said the cause of the explosion is being investigated. “The fuel station has petrol, diesel and auto LPG dispensing points. The explosion occurred at the auto LPG dispensing station. We have registered a case. Inquiry is in progress to ascertain the cause of the explosion. Luckily, the fire did not engulf the adjoining petrol and diesel tanks,” Sarangi said.
A team of experts from the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) visited the blast site to conduct a probe. “We have asked the IOCL experts to remove petrol and diesel from the tanks and take steps to prevent further damage. We have sealed routes around the blast site’s periphery to prevent movement of people and vehicles. People staying in the vicinity were advised not to ignite stoves till the gas and fuel were shifted from the petrol pump,” Sarangi said.
Capital Hospital authorities said they received nine persons who had sustained burn injuries. “We referred two of them to SCB Medical in Cuttack as they became critical. They sustained nearly 60% burn injuries,” Capital Hospital director Laxmidhar Sahoo said.
Sources said the injured included a few employees of the petrol pump and customers who were in the queue. “I had never heard nor seen such an explosion. We ran to safety, leaving our vehicles behind,” said Suresh Sahoo, who was waiting in the queue.
The petrol pump’s staff said they are unaware of the cause of the fire. “Three of our employees were badly injured,” said M K Hota, an employee.

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