A major fire broke out at Plot No. 27 at Alang beach in Gujarat on Thursday killing as many as 6 people, it is reported.

Reports say that a huge oil spill caught fire, engulfing the ship that was being dismantled by the workers. There were many workers engaged at the ship-breaking yard at Alang when the mishap occurred.

Efforts are on to control the blaze, but rescue workers and authorities fear more casualties.

The plot where the fire occurred is owned by Budha Patel of Shantamani Enterprise. This plot is one of 130-odd plots in use today.

Environmentalists blame the Directorate General of Shipping for the hazardous situation that exists at the Alang ship-breaking yard. A central technical team, constituted by the ministry of environment and forests, had in late 2009 assessed the hazardous materials/wastes contained in this particular ship, and had disallowed the beaching and recycling of the ship at Alang.

However, despite this, environmentalists allege that the Directorate General of Shipping did not send the ship back. Currently, the ship-breaking plots at Alang have about 166 ships to dismantle.

Observers say that such dereliction of duty on the part of the officials has turned Alang into not only the graveyard of ships but also of workers.

In March too, four persons died in a similar fire at Alang.