Toll rises to 17 in pipeline fire, case of negligence against GAIL

The toll in the deadly blast and fire, apparently caused by leakage from a Gas Authority of India Limited gas pipeline, on Saturday rose to 17, even as Andhra Pradesh police registered a case of negligence against the state-run firm.

Two persons, including a girl, succumbed to injuries on Saturday. The condition of five among the 20 injured who have received around 80 per cent burns remains critical, police said.

A four-year-old girl and a man died today at a private hospital in Kakinada. With this the toll has risen to 17,” East Godavari District Superintendent of Police G Vijay Kumar said.

The massive blaze started early Friday morning, apparently after leaked gas from the pipeline got ignited when a tea vendor lighted his stove. Gigantic flames scorched houses, coconut palms and everything else in a 1.5 km radius.

A case was on Saturday registered against GAIL, after examining eye-witnesses, recording statements of victims’ relatives and based on preliminary investigation, a police officer said.

Several villagers have alleged that they had complained about foul smell of gas emanating from leaks in the pipeline, but no repair was undertaken by the company.

The case was registered under sections 304 A (causing death by negligence), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) of the Indian Penal Code, the senior police officer said.

East Godavari district police have formed a special team to carry out their investigation. “We are examining documents related to the pipeline. GAIL officials will also be questioned,” the senior police officer said.

The villagers had alleged that the pipeline was over two decades old and was rusting. The investigators would check if the public sector company had taken necessary safety measures for the gas pipeline which passes through a populated area in the village.

Meanwhile, R K Singh, who heads the high-level probe panel of the Union government, said it had started collecting samples from the site and in a couple of days it would be able to throw some light on the cause of the mishap.

YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday demanded that Rs 1 crore be paid in compensation to each of the kin of 17 persons who lost their lives in the deadly blast and fire.

Jagan visited the village which bore the brunt of the blowout and consoled the bereaved family members. “YSRCP MPs would submit a memorandum to the concerned ministry seeking adequate compensation to the injured and the farmers whose fields got destroyed in the fire mishap,” Jagan said.

“The Centre and state governments should mount pressure on GAIL and the concerned ministry to pay Rs 1 crore compensation for the families who have lost a member in the mishap and adequately compensate the injured by providing them employment in the government sector,” he said.

Jagan said that the incident was not unprecedented in this part of the state, and is fallout of negligence on the part of oil companies. “Oil companies are reaping all the profit and locals are left to face such a disaster. There is no compensation to the seismic disruption and environmental hazards,” he said.

Jagan alleged that the negligence on part of the oil companies has been ‘very blatant’ as there were frequent complaints for the past one year about the leakages and even a small spark can ignite a major blast, which was the case now.

“The complaints were attended to half heartedly and tentative repairs were done as the management was not serious about the local issues,” he said.

Image: Blazing fire after an explosion at a gas pipeline of Gas Authority of India Limited in Nagaram village in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh on Friday. Photograph: PTI