Bhubaneswar’s Filling Station Blast: Dharmendra Orders Probe, CM Announces Free Treatment Of Injured

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack: Hours after a massive blast in a CNG chamber inside a filling station near Raj Bhawan Square in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday afternoon, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ordered a probe into the incident.

The Union Minister directed the concerned secretary of the Ministry to discuss the incident with the state government officials and the senior officials of the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and submit the probe report at the earliest. He also wished for the early recovery of the injured persons.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced free treatment of the injured persons injured and wished them early recovery.

Briefing media persons, Director of the Capital Hospital Laxmidhar Sahu said that nine injured persons have been admitted to the hospital of which two critically injured ones have been shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Talking about the safety measures, Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash said although the fire in the CNG tank has been completely brought under control, there is a diesel tank and a petrol tank near the CNG tank that blew away. As a precautionary measure, we have asked the IOCL engineers to thoroughly examine the condition of these three tanks and ensure that they are safe.

“Until the IOCL declares the filling station as safe, the road from the Power House Square to Raj Bhawan Square, Raj Bhawan Square to Gopabandhu Square and Raj Bhawan Square to AG Square will remain closed. We expect that the IOCL will announce the area as safe by this evening after which the debris lying scattered in the area will be cleared and traffic movement will be allowed,” he added.

The DCP further said that the people living near the filling stations are advised to stay indoors as some combustible material is lying scattered in the area.

Reporters who had covered the horrific incident found severed legs, hands, fingers, ears and flesh in the area. Several houses and vehicles near the filling stations have been severely damaged.

Briefing the media on the condition of the two seriously injured patients, Dr Bibhuti Nayak of the Department of Plastic Surgery in the SCB Medical College and Hospital said that the two have sustained severe head injuries. While one patient has sustained 40 per cent burn injury, the other has 60 per cent burn injury. “A team of specialist doctors and surgeons of the concerned departments are trying to provide the best possible treatment to them,” he added.