Illegal fuel godown fire chars 3 to death

KOLKATA: Three persons were charred to death after a godown storing banned kata-tel and illegally refilled LPG cylinders caught fire at China Town in Topsia on Thursday afternoon.
Police said the 10ft-by-12ft godown on Christopher Road opposite the Vrindavan Garden residential complex was registered as a flour godown but was used to store and sell spurious fuel.Kata-tel, a mix of kerosene and diesel, was once rampantly used in autos but ceased in 2008 when they switched to LPG following a high court order. Now the fuel is illegally used mainly in generators and some commercial goods vehicles.
On Thursday , apparently one of the gas cylinders kept in the godown exploded around 1pm, setting the little room on fire. At the time, godown owner Ram Avtar Agarwal, 60, a labourer, Pankaj Ram, 17, and Nand Kishore, 30, a local driver were in the room. Nine barrels of spurious fuel near the door fuelled the fire and blocked the only exit. Eight fire engines rushed to the spot along with ambulances and cops. The fire was brought under control after more than 30 minutes.By then, all three were charred.
A shop next to the godown also caught fire but no one was injured.The cops stopped traffic movement from Tangra towards Sealdah for over two hours to allow movement of ambulances and fire-tenders.
“The drums were kept in front of the shop, so when the fire broke out, those inside could not escape. There was no other exit,“ said Ajay Pal, a local shopkeeper. “There were three distinct explosions that spread panic. We rushed to the spot to find the shop ablaze. Everyone came out of their shops and houses to help but our efforts went in vain.“
Local residents claimed several complaints to the local police sta tion against the illegal godown had fallen on deaf ears for over 10 years even though it is located in a densely populated residential area.
Another resident said even illegal refilling of auto LPG from domestic gas cylinders are practiced in several shanties in the area.
“Gas cylinders are illegally stocked in several shanties including this one. When we complain to the police, they say the men have , permissions,“ claimed Md Abdullah, a lo sions,“ claimed Md Abdullah, a local resident.
West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association president Tushar Kanti Sen said: “We have been fighting against sale and use of adulterated fuel. Not only we are bleeding but the government is also losing revenue. The deaths shows how great danger is lurking behind such nefarious activities.“