Shed in Karur with ‘hoarded’ fuel goes up in flames

Residents raised concerns about their safety after petrol and diesel allegedly kept illegally in a shed near a petroleum warehouse in Aathur caught fire near on Friday.
Fire and Rescue Service personnel fighting to bring fire under control in a warehouse where fuel was allegedly hoarded in barrels | Express
Fire and Rescue Service personnel fighting to bring fire under control in a warehouse where fuel was allegedly hoarded in barrels | Express

KARUR: Residents raised concerns about their safety after petrol and diesel allegedly kept illegally in a shed near a petroleum warehouse in Aathur caught fire near on Friday.

Even as firemen managed to put out the blaze in two hours, the villagers alleged that the fuel had been illegally hoarded outside the warehouse that caters to 20 districts by some officials and truck drivers with the help of locals. According to residents, the officials and drivers have for years been stealing petroleum from the warehouse and hoarding it in the shed. The locals, who laid siege to the warehouse after the fire, said the officials were illegally selling a litre of petrol for `60-70 and diesel for `50-60.

Karur DSP Kummaraja and the Vangal police arrived at the spot and got 400 litres of petrol and diesel hoarded in barrels destroyed.

“It took 2 hours for the fire department personnel to put out the fire even though only four barrels of petrol and diesel had caught fire. Imagine what will happen if the warehouse or a couple of trucks catch fire. We don’t feel safe living near this warehouse. We informed the warehouse authorities about the hoarding a long time ago. But nothing happened as some officials working there were involved in it. They should take measures to ensure the village’s safety. This warehouse is of no use to us. They drive and park their trucks in a rash manner causing many accidents,” said a resident.

Reacting to the allegations, a warehouse official said that the company had already dismissed a few workers found guilty. “Our team responded immediately and took necessary steps. The residents have put forth a set of demands and requests. We have asked them to write them down on paper and submit it to us. We’ll discuss it with the district administration and take action.”

The official rejected the allegation that the warehouse was of no use to the residents, claiming that the public sector company had done a lot corporate social responsibility (CSR) work for them.

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