Burned HPCL workers being flown to Mumbai

Visakhapatnam: The death toll in the HPCL cooling tower blast remains the same with no reports of casualties. Condition of some workmen getting medical care in a few city hospitals remains to be critical, while P Venkata Rao (44), who suffered 50 per cent burns, on the advice of the doctors has been airlifted to Mumbai on Sunday evening for better medical treatment at the National Burns Institute (NBI).

Maximum of two dependents per patient are also being flown to Mumbai, the expenses of which will be borne by HPCL. As advised earlier, medical assistance for the injured persons including incidental expenditure is being taken care of by HPCL authorities.

A decision is yet to be taken of how many more injured persons would be shifted to Mumbai in days to come. But it is reliably learnt through sources that 6 workmen would be flown to NBI on Monday. Fortunately the death toll remains the same and is put at 8 when reports from all the city hospitals last came in.

Thirty eight contract workmen have sustained burn injuries with different degrees of burns. They are undergoing treatment in multi specialty hospitals like Seven Hills, Care, New Care, Apollo, Manipal and Lazarus. Two HPCL officials each are positioned at all the hospitals. Doctors from HPCL, Mumbai have been flown in to closely monitor the status of the patients.

A team of 3-members from Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has already started investigation to find out the root cause of the accident. HPCL has also appointed a 5-member Internal Investigation Team from Mumbai to investigate into the blast. All senior officials of HPCL from Mumbai are in Visakhapatnam to monitor the treatment of the patients and providing all assistance to the affected.

As indicated by Union Minister for Petroleum Veerappa Moily during the press conference on Saturday, arrangement for air lifting of the patients has commenced. HPCL is also organising visits of specialist doctors for the patients being treated from other cities.

As announced by the Union Minister, a total amount of Rs.20 lakh shall be paid to the next of the kin of the deceased very soon. HPCL is also considering payment of necessary compensation for the injured in case of total permanent disablement or partial disablement, basing on the doctor’s advice. The amount of compensation decided shall be much higher than the normal compensation for such disablements. Meanwhile cleaning operations and debris removal in the cooling tower has commenced after detailed inspection of all the cells of the cooling tower.