Fire at Vadodara IOCL refinery: Death toll rises to 2
Vadodara (PTI): The death toll in a fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Gujarat's Vadodara city has gone up to two, while another injured person was undergoing treatment, police said on Tuesday.
The fire that began on Monday afternoon with a blast in a benzene storage tank of the refinery later spread to two other adjoining tanks, Jawahar Nagar police station inspector A B Mori said.
The blaze was brought under control after efforts which continued till the wee hours of Tuesday, he said.
Two persons -- Dhimant Makwana and Shailesh Makwana -- died in the fire. An IOCL official received injuries and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, Mori said.
The condition of the injured person was stable, he said.
The blaze was brought under control after extensive efforts involving several fire tenders brought in from nearby cities and towns, officials said.
The blast occurred at the IOCL refinery located in Koyali area on the outskirts of Vadodara which triggered the blaze, an official earlier said.
The IOCL in a statement on Monday evening said the "fire was reported at around 3.30 pm in a benzene storage tank (1000 KL capacity) at Gujarat Refinery".
The adjacent water sprinkler system was activated to contain the fire, it said.
"The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained," it added.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) D J Chavda told reporters late Monday night that the fire had spread to the adjoining storage tanks.
Visuals showed thick plumes emerging from the refinery which could be seen from kilometres away. Several workers were evacuated and could be seen exiting the IOCL campus.
Following the fire, fluid circulation in the IOCL complex was stopped as per the standard operating procedure. Other storage tanks were being cooled to ensure the blaze didn't spread, Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar said.
All the employees who were working in the shift were moved out of the refinery and the people reaching the refinery for subsequent shifts were turned back for safety reasons, he said.
The police, district administration officials and senior executives of IOCL reached the site after the incident.
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Kohli's U-19 teammate Amanpreet Singh Gill dies at 36
New Delhi (PTI): Former India U-19 and Punjab medium pacer Amanpreet Singh Gill died at the age of 36 in Chandigarh on Wednesday, leaving the cricket fraternity in mourning.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Gill, who was Virat Kohli's U-19 teammate, featured in six first-class matches for Punjab, picking up 11 wickets.
He was also part of the Punjab franchise (Kings XI Punjab) in the inaugural Indian Premier League season, and later served as a member of Punjab's senior selection committee.
"Punjab Cricket Association deeply mourns the sad demise of Amanpreet Singh Gill, former Punjab cricketer and Member, Senior Selection Committee Punjab,” the Punjab Cricket Association announced on X.
"Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones. May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family in this difficult time."
Two-time World Cup-winning India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also paid tribute to Gill.
"Deeply saddened to hear about Amanpreet Singh Gill’s passing. Shared the dressing room in our early days, he was a quiet, hardworking cricketer who loved the game. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace Om Shanti,” Singh posted on X.
Gill played five Youth ODIs and one Youth Test for India in 2007.
In the longer format, he claimed the wicket of former Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera.
However, he did not make the Virat Kohli-led India U-19 side that went on to win the 2008 World Cup.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Amanpreet Singh Shergill, who proudly represented Punjab and was a part of the Punjab Kings family. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire cricketing fraternity,” Punjab Kings posted on their official Instagram account.
