M A I N   N E W S

Flames engulf Ranbaxy plant after blasts
30 injured; Air Force monitoring smoke clouds for toxicity
Chitleen K. Sethi
Tribune News Service

Damage-control action in progress at the Ranbaxy plant.

SAS Nagar, June 11
At least 30 persons were injured, 14 of them seriously, in a series of three blasts resulting in a major fire in the pharamceutical giant Ranbaxy’s plant in Industrial Area Phase I here tonight.

Thousands of Mohali residents ran away from their homes fearing a Bhopal gas tragedy-like catastrophe as a cloud of thick smoke engulfed the areas surrounding the plant and nearby residential areas. More than 200 persons were inside the factory when the blasts took place, most of whom, according to the police, were evacuated during fire fighting operations. The injured have been admitted to various hospitals in SAS Nagar, the PGI, Chandigarh, and Kharar.

The Deputy Commissioner, Ropar, Mrs Seema Jain, said, according to information available from Ranbaxy factory officials,‘‘the fumes are non-toxic in nature.’’

The state machinery has been put on high alert and the direction of the almost 500-metre high cloud of smoke is being monitored by the Air Force stations in Chandigarh and Sahnewal. According to Air Force officials, the direction of the wind is taking the cloud to Sohana, Kurali, and Ropar, where the hospitals and other state machinery has been put on high alert in case the fumes are toxic, sources in the government said.

The cause of the fire is said to be an explosion in the massive generator in the solvent recovery plant of the One-A module of the factory. This triggered off two more blasts in the chemical-based raw material in the vicinity.

The first of the three blasts, also the most powerful of them all, took place at just after 10 pm, leading to the fire. The blast was heard till as far as Sector 11, Chandigarh, which is more than 9 km away. Window panes of residential areas in the vicinity of the plant were smashed. Within five minutes of the first blast two more blast followed in a quick succession lighting up the sky and throwing up orange coloured flames in the sky. The fire then raged for more than two hours before it could be brought under control. An eyewitness told the Tribune that the blast was very severe. It shook the area like an earthquake.

People started crowding the factory buildings. As the news spread there was panic in the area with hundreds of residents of Village Mohali, Phase VI, Phase IV, Phase III- A , Phase V, Phase III-B-I taking their vehicles and running away from their homes fearing the toxicity of the fumes. A few minor accidents have also been reported on roads with major traffic blocks.

The SAS Nagar fire brigade reached the spot first followed by the police and officials of the district administration. Over 200 policemen were deployed around the factory which was cordoned off to ensure that the roads were clear for firefighting machinery to be brought in. At one of the gates the police had to resort to lathi charge trying to shoo away the worried family members of those inside the factory and the onlookers.

Among the injured the worst is the condition of those who were in the vicinity of the chemicals when the first blast occurred. These persons have sustained 100 per cent burns and are fighting for their life at the PGI. Two of the fire fighters who reached the spot first have also been injured. One of them has been admitted to SAS Nagar Civil Hospital with pain in the chest and chemical-related skin irritation. The other fire fighter is admitted to Kharar Civil hospital and is said to have suffered a splinter injury.

According to a fire official inside the factory, the first lot of firemen who reached the factory are working without any safety hoods and there is a strong likelihood of many of them falling sick. Meanwhile, angry and irate relatives of those injured have crowded the hospitals. ‘‘I will ensure that Ranbaxy closes down,.’’said Mr Surinder Singh, father of one Ranbaxy employee admitted to the civil hospital here. Meanwhile the D.C. Ropar has ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter.

Sabotage ruled out

Chandigarh, June 11
The SSP of Ropar, Mr G.P.S. Bhullar, said forensic experts had been called in from Chandigarh to determine the cause of the fire which had created panic. Mr Bhullar ruled out the aspect of sabotage and said the explosions were purely accidental. TNS

Airmen douse flames with special foam
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11
Prompt thinking by the Punjab Government brought the fire under control or else the casualties could have been much more. They called in the Air Force, the Chandigarh Administration and also fire tenders from nearby areas. What clinched the issue was a special chemical foam which is with the Air Force to manage such fires.

The Punjab Chief Secretary, Mr Rajan Kashyap, who is also the Secretary, Environment, knew of a crisis management programme. He called up Air Vice Marshal M.S. Gurm to seek help in dousing the flames with the special chemical.

The Air Force acted immediately and sent in vehicles carrying the chemical. This helped in bringing the fire under control around midnight. Within minutes of the special spray the fire was under control.

The Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, was also monitoring the situation on a minute-to-minute basis. When asked about exgratia around tomorrow morning and then see the damage. ‘‘At the moment it will be difficult to say the exact nature of casualties.’’

The Chief Secretary praised the efforts of the Air Force and also of the Chandigarh Administration in pressing in the fire engines. He said fire engines from Dera Bassi, S.A.S. Nagar, Khanna, Fatehgarh Sahib, and even as far as Ludhiana were called in. The Chandigarh Administration sent in five of its fire tenders.

At one time around 11: 30 p.m about 25 fire tenders were on standby as the massive fire which had erupted as a big orange ball. Mr Kashyap said this crisis management group was known to him from old experience. The coordination was very good and the response of the Chandigarh Administration and the Air force was praise worthy.

Residents flee Mohali
Rajmeet Singh and Nishikant Dwivedi

SAS Nagar, June 11
Panic gripped the town as the blast caused the earth under the residents' feet to shake. The injured were rushed to various private and government hospitals in Chandigarh, SAS Nagar and Kharar. Though there was no official information about those injured or dead, it is learnt that at least 30 persons were injured, with the condition of a few being critical.

The deafening blasts and a thick blanket of smoke over SAS Nagar, also heard and seen in Chandigarh, created panic. Anticipating poisonous gas leakage, thousands of residents fled their houses in SAS Nagar and adjoining areas of Chandigarh.

Ms Manjit Kaur of Phase II, along with her kids, left the town for Panchkula. "We saw a blanket of smoke in the sky and could also smell smoke in the air, which made us flee to Panchkula."

Then there were those who wanted first-hand information on what actually happened at the Industrial Area Phase I plant. At one time, a huge crowd had gathered outside the factory and the police was forced to resort to lathicharge before cordoning off the area.

When the reports last came in, the district administration was not planning any evacuation of the residents in areas adjoining the factory. When contacted, Ms Seema Jain, Ropar Deputy Commissioner, said as per the initial assessment the fumes were not toxic.

The blasts were so powerful they were heard in Panchkula also. The Tribune office in Chandigarh was flooded with phone calls from worrying residents of the region, enquiring about the incident.

Those whose friends and relatives were working in the factory at the time of the blasts were more worried. They were busy making frantic phone calls. A large number of relatives also reached the factory. However, they were not allowed into the factory by the police. This did not dissuade the relatives, who kept trying to contact their loved ones on mobile phones.

Meanwhile, Mr B.S. Baidwan, president of the Mohali Industries Association, said such a fire can take place in any industry.

4 struggle at PGI
Pratibha Chauhan and Kiran Deep

Chandigarh, June 11
Four critically injured are battling for life at the PGI. While 11 persons, including one fire officer, have been admitted in serious condition to the Civil Hospital, Mohali, four persons with almost 100 per cent burns have been rushed to the PGI. Fourteen persons have been sent to Fortis Hospital in Mohali and one to the Civil Hospital, Kharar, while another has been admitted to Inscol Hospital, Chandigarh. There was no report of any fume-related problem.

Of the 11 persons in the Civil Hospital, Mohali, eight men have sustained serious splinter-related injuries from broken glass which flew off the windowpanes following the impact of the blasts. Women, who were admitted, have not sustained injuries, but fell unconscious following the impact of the blasts. The eight injured men lived adjacent to the Ranbaxy building. They included four Home Guards.

Four of the injured, including three who have sustained 100 per cent burns, were admitted to the PGI. They are Rajinder Singh, Satish Kumar, Bhagwant and Surinder Singh. Satish Kumar, who sustained 80 per cent burn injuries, told TNS: “ I was coming out of the office and heard a big blast. I tried to run, but was engulfed in the flames”.

Sukhprit Singh Chauhan, a resident of House number 140, Phase IV, Mohli, about 200 metres away from the incident site, was among the first to arrive at the factory. He, along with his friend Sachin, rushed one of the injured to the PGI.

Those admitted at Fortis are: Kulbir Singh, Sushil Kumar, Varinder Bhardwaj, Mariah, J Vijay, S P Singh, Jagvinder Singh, Srawan Kumar, Ramesh Chander, Suresh Chander, Vijay Khullar, Gurdev Singh, Prakash, Viney Kumar and Ashok.