Tanker catches fire at PCTC petrol pump triggering panic
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 23 2016: An oil tanker was completely reduced to cinders when it accidentally caught fire while unloading petrol at M/S Phulchand Trilokchand & Sons, (PCTC) DM College Gate here at around noon today.

Long queues of vehicles were lined up in front of the oil pump for refuelling when the tanker suddenly caught fire at around 11.55 am.

According to information culled from the spot, petrol was being unloaded from a tanker truck to a steel barrel which was cut in the middle near the northern brick wall of the retail outlet, when a blaze erupted.

On seeing the blaze, people gathered at the pump including pump-men and staff of the RO ran away helter skelter.

It is said that the tanker truck belongs to IOC's transporter Pravesh of Mantripukhri.

Tanker catches fire at PCTC petrol pump

Even though PCTC was allocated 32 Kls of petrol yesterday, no fuel was allocated to PCTC today following the blaze.

Nonetheless, police personnel deployed at the oil pump immediately informed Manipur Fire Services.

They also pulled away one three-wheelers, some two-wheelers and a car away from the raging fire.

Auto-rickshaw driver Maibam Ibochouba (39) of Mayanglangjing Tamang Sabal said that he was waiting for his turn when the blaze erupted.

He immediately deserted his vehicle and ran away.

On looking back, he saw his auto catching fire.

Nonetheless, some police personnel managed to pull the auto to safety.

Some portions of the auto's hood and the driver's seat were burnt.

The blaze was so ferocious that its flames rose up to around 50 feet in the sky.

Residents of Imphal could see black columns of smoke rising up in the sky from afar. The raging fire also spread to an adjacent multi-storeyed building but there was no report of any casualty.

Even as fire tenders were struggling hard to control the inferno, police had a hard time trying to control the crowd.

IGP Clay Khongsai and DIG IK Muivah too came to the spot.

As vehicular traffic was blocked in front of the RO, there was traffic jam at North AOC traffic point.

Similar situations of traffic jam were also seen around the traffic island of Kangla western gate and MG Avenue junction.

Even as two Bolero jeeps equipped with advanced fire fighting technology, five fire tenders and one mini-truck were pressed into action, the firemen who were directly involved in fighting the raging fire maintained they could not say for sure what sparked the inferno.

As the fire tenders could not contain the inferno, Additional SP Dr Sarangthem Ibomcha called foam liquid concentrate packs from IOC's Chingmeirong office.

The inferno was finally brought under control at around 12.40 pm.

Notably, the underground reservoir (tank) of the RO was located outside its walled anterior section yet petrol was being unloaded to the modified barrel from the tanker truck within the walled section.

As per general norms, petrol should be unloaded to the underground tank after checking temperature and density of petrol from a small quantity collected in the barrel.

CAF&PD Minister Ksh Biren, Forest and Environment Minister I Hemochandra and MLA Kh Joykishan too came to the spot.