The fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) depot continued to burn for the sixth day even as government officials maintained that only one of the 11 containers was ablaze on Tuesday evening, which would be expended in another 24 hours. Meanwhile, the state government has relaxed roadblocks in the area even as life slowly limped back to normalcy in some areas that were hastily evacuated following the blaze. The fire which broke out Thursday evening has claimed 11 lives, injuring more than a hundred others and has caused damages over Rs 500 crore, according to IOC officials.

“Experts believe the fuel will be expended by Wednesday and fire fighters will be able to move in and completely extinguish the fire. Vehicular restriction into the area has been relaxed to accommodate traffic,” Rajasthan home secretary Pradeep Sen said. He added that the last approach road to the IOC depot would remain blocked till safety experts deemed it safe.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court, responding to a PIL on Tuesday, asked the state government for steps it had taken to control the fire as well as measures adopted to prevent such incidents in future. On Monday, two police complaints were filed against IOC under sections of the IPC for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and death due to negligence.

With the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RPCB) reporting an alarming increase in the levels of Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), the Jaipur district administration on Tuesday distributed masks and protective eye gear to those living around the depot. Following complaints of itchy eyes and breathing difficulty from nearby villages, the government on Monday and Tuesday sent two teams of doctors to visit affected areas. However state principal secretary, health, G S Sandhu said no severe cases were reported.

... contd.