One killed, another injured in explosion at IOCL facility in Tamil Nadu

According to officials, the incident took place when workers were engaged in welding "in an ethanol storage tank" after it was emptied.

Foam used for putting out fire coming out from the place where the fire occured inside IOCL (Photo | P. Ravikumar, EPS)

CHENNAI:  A 52-year-old worker died and another suffered severe burns after the ethanol tank at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) terminal in Tondiarpet exploded on Wednesday. RK Nagar police said sparks from welding works could have triggered the blast.

The deceased, identified as G Perumal of Parameshwaran Nagar in Tondiarpet, had been working as a welder at the plant for the past 20 years. Saravanan, another welder, sustained 60% burns and is receiving treatment. Both of them were performing routine maintenance work on the tank, which has a capacity of 50,000 litres, when the blast occurred. 

A police officer said, “While Perumal was involved in welding, Saravanan was assisting him. Around noon on Wednesday, the tank exploded and both of them were severely injured.” They were rushed to a hospital, where Perumal was declared dead. Police recovered Perumal’s body and sent it for post-mortem. A case has been registered and an inquiry is on.

A scene inside the IOCL (R). Relatives of  a 48-year-old man who died when a tank burst at Indian Oil Corporation at Tiruvottiyur on Wednesday afternoon.

Internal inquiry under way: IOCL

An IOCL official said though the tank was empty, there might be remnant vapours that could have triggered the explosion. “Though the standard operating procedure was adhered to, the chances of such accidents cannot be entirely ruled out as the products we handle are inflammable. An internal inquiry is under way,” he said.

A fire and rescue officer told TNIE, “As soon as we got the call, four fire tenders from Tondiarpet, Royapuram and Washermenpet were sent to the spot. One more vehicle with advanced equipment was sent from the CPCL and the fire was put out in 15-20 minutes.”

An official statement from the IOCL said that an ethanol storage tank, maintained by a contractor, exploded during a planned maintenance activity. Expressing condolences, the company announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased.

“A team of experts from the head office in Mumbai and regional office in Chennai rushed to site to assist the investigation team. All possible measures would be undertaken to ensure complete safety before resumption of normal operations,” the company statement added.