UJJAIN: Clad in protective gear and masks, and breathing oxygen through 60mlong flame-proof ducts, NDRF personnel on Friday retrieved the bodies of the two labourers who had fallen into an LPG collection tank at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s Nazarpur plant 11 hours earlier.
The team daren’t even use torches or oxygen cylinders to enter the ‘bullet’ tank, for fear of the inflammable gas, and had to improvise on the go. The bodies were brought out around 3.40am, Ujjain collector Asheesh Singh told TOI.
The IOCL bottling plant is situated in Ghatia and was erroneously reported to be operated by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL).
The contractual labourers – Lakhan Singh, 30 and Rajendra Singh, 27 – had fallen into the degassed tank around 4.30pm on Thursday. Eyewitnesses have told local officials that the accident happened during maintenance work at the 150-tonne bullet tank. Its contents were to be flushed out using high-pressure water. One of the labourers peeped through a 21-inch opening to check the flow of water, but slipped into it and fell unconscious due to the escaping gases, industrial health and safety assistant director Himanshu Solomon said.
The second labourer went to check on him and also fell in. The other workers shut off water supply and raised the alarm.
Rescuers had a daunting task due to LPG. Regular lights or metal equipment could not be used as any spark might have caused an explosion. “A special flameproof compressor and blower was procured from Grasim Industries’ chemical division, and the bullet was cleared of water and residue gases,” Solomon said, adding that a flame-proof system that supplies oxygen at a distance of 60 metres was summoned from Grasim.
An NDRF team arrived from Bhopal around 2am, and one of its officers volunteered to enter the tank. He first hauled Lakhan’s body up the stairs around 3.40pm. Fifteen minutes later, Rajendra’s body was brought out.
“We did not use ropes or chains, fearing that any friction could cause sparks. The bodies had to be manually lifted up the stairs,” Solomon said. The recovery of the bodies calmed the villagers who had gathered at the plant and staged protests, blocking the Indore-Kota highway. The bodies have been sent for autopsy.
Collector Singh has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, and to see if safety precautions were followed at the plant.
IOCL Nazarpur plant DGM Subhash Ramtake said the families of the deceased will be given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each, plus Rs 1 lakh each for the funerals. In view of the financial condition of the families, they will be given an additional Rs 1 lakh, and a member from each family will be given a job as a contractual worker.
An IOCL statement said the company’s emergency procedures were immediately activated and industrial safety and occupational health personnel went to the scene to carry out the rescue work. In compliance with company protocol, an investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the accident, it said.
“We are offering our condolences and support to the aggrieved families,” said executive director V Satishkumar, who heads the state unit, adding that relief has been provided to their families.
The plant will resume operation on Saturday, and supply of LPG cylinders will not be affected, it said.
