Jaipur: The fire at an oil depot in Jaipur continued to burn for the third day running on Sunday with the death toll rising to 10 and suspicions strengthening that gross negligence caused the fire.
Sources tell CNN-IBN an oil pipeline of the Indian Oil Corporation sprung a leak at around 1600 hrs IST on Thursday after an IOC operator opened valves in the wrong order.
A fire broke at 1920 hrs IST because of the error, but the IOC missed the three hours it had to plug the leak effectively.
“Eyewitness accounts indicate negligence but we're waiting for the experts probe committee to submit its report,” said Ram Lal Jat, Rajasthan Minister for Petroleum and Environment on Sunday.
The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state and Central governments to explain why they have failed to douse the blaze in three days. As the fire blazes on, the government seems to have finally woken up to the threat of having oil depots close to residential areas.
Jitin Prasad, Union minister of state for petroleum, has said his ministry will hold a safety audit of all oil installations by December 31 and identify oil installations in populated areas, so that they can be shifted out.
IOC’s general manager in charge of Rajasthan will be replaced for the blaze in Jaipur.
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