Fire at IOCL depot in Deoghar, dist admin evacuates 2 villages

Dumka: A major fire erupted at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited's (IOCL) depot in Deoghar's Jasidih industrial area on Tuesday.
Authorities managed to douse the flames after two and a half hours. None were hurt in the incident.
Video footages which went on viral on social media depicted flames and dense black smoke moving towards the IOCL depot.
The situation could have been catastrophic had the fire reached the terminal having stocks of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products for distribution in Jharkhand and neighbouring Bihar and Bengal, said sources.
The emergency response included five fire brigade engines and the activation of all fire-fighting equipment at the depot, they added.
Whilst the precise cause remains undetermined, initial probe suggested that the fire originated from a bushfire in nearby Badladih village which rapidly spread to the IOCL depot's parking area due to strong winds.
Swift action by the district and IOCL officials, ensured dozens of oil-laden tankers were moved to safety from the parking area. This prevented the flames from reaching the main terminal area.
"The fire near the parking area of the IOCL depot was reported at around 2 pm which was responded within half an hour by the administrative team. The fire was doused by 5pm.
There were no damages to life and property," SDO Ravi Kumar told TOI.
As a safety measure, authorities have evacuated 2,000 residents from the adjoining Badladih and Santhaldih villages to prevent any casualties and relocated a passenger and one goods train to safety from Jasidih railway station, which is located closeby.