Man succumbs to injuries caused by Bhubaneswar petrol pump fire

One person has succumbed to his burn injuries, caused by a blaze at a petrol pump in Bhubaneswar while undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital, authorities of the medical establishment said on Thursday. Satya Nayak (37) from Ganjam district had sustained 60 per cent burn injuries and he died at the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack in the morning, its emergency officer, Dr Bhubananda Moharana said.

Nine people were injured, two of them critically, in a major fire that broke out at an Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) petrol pump near Raj Bhavan here on Wednesday. The other critically-injured person, Ripu Daman (40) from Lucknow, is still undergoing treatment, he said.

"Daman has 40 per cent burn injuries and his condition continues to remain critical. We cannot say anything before 72 hours," Moharana said.

The fire at the petrol pump had caused an explosion at its CNG point, injuring many people with splinters, most of whom were, however, later released from hospitals after they were administered first aid, an official said. The explosion had also damaged several nearby buildings and vehicles parked in the vicinity, he said.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, who hails from Odisha, has ordered a probe into the incident, while the state police has started an investigation. Criminal cases have been registered in connection with this incident, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police, S S Sarangi, said. The police commissionerate, in a statement, said the salvage operation to remove the remaining LPG was completed by 6 am on Thursday and the work to remove petrol and diesel is expected to be over by 2 pm.

"This is an active site. Security precautions and restrictions on road traffic will continue till we declare the place safe. We expect the operation to end by 2 pm today," it tweeted.

Locals fear some bodies might be under the debris which is yet to be cleared.

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