Jaipur, October 29
A major fire broke out in the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot in Sitapura Industrial Area here this evening, causing death of five persons and injuries to around 150 persons, including three depot officials and fire personnel. The condition of 20 persons is reported to be critical.

The injured have been rushed to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital and SMS Hospital. All hospitals in the city have been put on alert fearing huge casualties. The fire broke out around 7.30 pm due to an explosion at the depot that led to a series of blasts, causing panic in the industrial area and neighbouring Sanganer.

However, the exact cause of the fire is not yet known. Initially, three out of total eight oil tanks of the depot caught fire, while the fourth one caught fire around 9.30 pm. The administration swung into action and rushed 30 fire tenders and 20 ambulances to the spot.

However, the raging fire didn’t even spare fire personnel and a few of them also sustained burns. The authorities cut off the power supply to the affected area and also got the entire area evacuated. The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that the firemen were finding it difficult to close in on the spot due to heat being generated by the oil depot on fire whose raging flames could be seen from several kms away.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is personally monitoring the rescue and relief operations. He said he had talked to Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora and urged him to send a team of experts to control the fire. All arrangements had been made for the treatment of the injured, he added.

He said the government had also sought help of the Army to control the fire.DGP Harish Chandra Meena admitted that 33 IOC employees were inside the depot at the time of the incident. However, it was not yet clear whether they managed to came out of the depot when the tragedy struck or were still trapped inside.

Meanwhile, reports pouring in from New Delhi suggest that Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora will be in Jaipur to take stock of the tragedy tomorrow. There were also reports that a team of experts is already on its way from Mumbai to Jaipur.