Lightning triggers fire at petroleum plant in Vizag

Visakhapatnam, Sep 7 (IANS) Fire broke out at a petroleum company in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Sunday after lightning struck a petrol tank, officials said. There were no casualties.

Huge flames were seen after a petrol filter tank caught fire due to lightning at East India Petroleum Limited’s facility near Visakhapatnam Port.

The fire was seen raging amid the rain. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and doused the fire. Senior officials visited the spot to review the situation.

On receiving the information about the fire accident, Home Minister V. Anitha spoke to senior officials of the Fire Services Department and took stock of the situation. She said that the fire was brought under control and people need not panic.

Meanwhile, lightning also struck a few places in the Vizianagaram district.

At least 30 sheep were killed when lightning struck them at Kondagangupudi village in Vepada mandal. Three people were injured in Munupurai in S. Kota mandal.

Meanwhile, heavy rains lashed Telangana’s Warangal town on Sunday, disrupting normal life. Several low-lying areas were inundated.

Two buses of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) were caught in floodwater under a railway bridge. Traffic police rescued about 100 passengers from both buses.

Heavy rains that lasted for an hour submerged roads, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt. Motorists faced severe hardships.

Citizens blamed the poor drainage system for the inundation of roads.

Meanwhile, a massive fire broke out at a plastic warehouse in the Mylardevpalli area in Rangareddy district on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Sunday. Thick black smoke from the warehouse engulfed the area, causing panic among people in the surrounding residential localities.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service to control the fire. The cause of the fire was not known.

According to local residents, the warehouse was closed a few months ago. Police registered a case and took up an investigation.

--IANS

ms/vd