PARADIP: A massive fire broke out at the open scrap yard near Zero Point outside the Indian Oil premises here on Monday. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
Sources said the fire involved discarded marine hoses and mooring ropes stored in the yard. The blaze was so intense that it quickly spread to the surrounding areas, burning and destroying all the pipes stored there. Presence of plastic coating on the pipes reportedly aggravated the fire.
Following the incident, panic spread among local residents and workers employed in nearby companies. On being informed, over 10 fire engines and fire fighting teams from PPL, IOCL, IFFCO, AMNS and Kujang rushed to the spot to douse the flames.
Sources from Indian Oil’s South Eastern Regional Pipelines division said due to combustion of rubber materials, thick smoke was observed in the area. The fire was successfully brought under control within 12 minutes.
Additional district magistrate of Paradip Niranjan Behera said the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. There is no need to panic as the fire has been completely brought under control, he added.
Senior officer of IOCL’s pipeline division (HR) Manjeet Razak said investigation and inspection are currently underway to ascertain the cause of the incident. He said there has been no financial loss or impact on operations due to the fire mishap.