Rajahmundry, June 27
At least 15 people were killed and 18 injured when a massive blaze raged through a village in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district following a blast in an apparently leaking gas pipeline this morning.

"Bodies of 13 people charred in the incident were recovered from the gutted houses. Two others succumbed to their burn injuries while undergoing treatment at different hospitals," Amalapuram DSP M Veera Reddy said.

Eighteen injured persons were shifted to hospitals, a police officer said, adding the deceased include five women, three girls and a boy.

Ministry orders probe The Petroleum Ministry has ordered a high-level inquiry into the GAIL pipeline blast and fire. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that the inquiry will be undertaken by the committee headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas; ED, HPCL; ED, OISD; and a nominee from the National Disaster management Authority (NDMA). The pipeline carried gas from state-owned ONGC gas field in the East Godavari district. — TNS

The leaping flames from the state-run Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline at Nagram village in Mamidikuduru Mandal of the district quickly swept through nearby houses and coconut plantations, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

"The blast and subsequent blaze which started around 5 am spread swiftly engulfing houses, coconut farms and vehicles parked in the vicinity. In 15 minutes everything was gutted," the police officer said. The fire got apparently triggered when a tea shop vendor lit up a stove, setting off a blast, IGP North Coastal Zone Atul Singh said.

A GAIL official, however, quoted its Chairman BC Tripathi as saying: "The exact cause of the blast is not immediately known. We will get the details and cause of the blast after the inquiry."