Hoshiarpur LPG tanker blast: NHRC notice to Punjab govt on status of probe
Probe into August 22 incident that claimed seven lives incomplete, while assessment of damage to property yet to be carried out more than a month after the tragedy.
Taking suo motu cognizance of the report published in Hindustan Times about the delay in the investigation of the LPG tanker blast at Hoshiarpur’s Mandiala village that claimed seven lives and damaged property on August 22, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Punjab chief secretary, chief controller of explosives, Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), ministry of commerce and industry, and the senior superintendent of police, calling for a detailed report, including the status of investigation, within two weeks.
The NHRC has observed that the contents of the report raised serious issues of violation of human rights of the victims. The report had mentioned that the inquiries into the incident were still incomplete and assessment of the damage to the property has still not been done even after a month of the tragedy when the blast victims and their families were struggling to resurrect their lives.
The incident had occurred on the night of August 22 when an LPG tanker collided with a pickup truck and triggered a blast that engulfed shops and houses. Two persons had died on the spot, while five others succumbed later. Sixteen persons had sustained burns.
A magisterial probe was ordered but it could not make any headway as the PESO authorities, whose involvement was necessary for the probe, had not responded.
The police arrested some persons who were set to pilfer gas from the tanker had it not caught fire, but the probe whether the gas agency staff or contractors were also involved in the racket is still underway. The blast had taken place about half a kilometre from the LPG bottling plant of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. The tanker, which was coming from Bathinda, instead of going to the bottling plant, had turned towards the location where the police later claimed, LPG was often stolen and filled in cylinders for black-marketing.
