3 CISF personnel among 4 killed in ONGC plant blaze

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, September 3

A massive fire at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s gas processing facility at Uran in Navi Mumbai claimed four lives and disrupted supply of compressed natural gas (CNG) to petrol pumps in the city this morning.

Police and fire officials said the fire was reported in a storm water drain at ONGC’s gas processing facility at Uran around 7 am. It then spread around, causing explosions. Three firemen belonging to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and an employee were killed in the fire, the police said.

The firemen who lost their lives have been identified as Eranna Nayakka, Satish Prasad Kushwaha and MK Paswan. ONGC’s resident production superintendent CN Rao was also among those killed, according to officials.

It took six hours to contain and put off the blaze, police and fire officials said.

The fire, however, disrupted supply of gas to Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. ONGC officials said gas arriving to the Mumbai facility was diverted to its plant at Hazira. Mahanagar Gas Limited, which sources gas for supply in Mumbai and neighbouring cities, said CNG supply to petrol pumps in the area remained disrupted till late afternoon.

With ONGC gradually resuming supply to its Mumbai facility from late afternoon, MGL began normalising supply of gas to consumers in Mumbai.

MGL officials said supply of gas to petrol pumps and commercial users would be restored by late evening. MGL supplies piped gas to 12 lakh houses and CNG to seven lakh vehicles everyday in Mumbai.