AP GAIL pipeline explosion incident: Lakshmi Jyothsna dies

Hyderabad: Adding one more death to the account of GAIL Pipeline explosion incident, early on Saturday, Lashmi Jyothsna, a minor girl, was killed while undergoing treatment a hospital. By this, the death toll has increased to 16. The condition of few others is also learnt to be very critical, added sources.

It is evident that on Friday, a massive explosion on a state-owned gas pipeline running through Andhra Pradesh killed at least 16 people and gutted scores of homes. The live pictures presented on all major television channels showed flames at least 20 metres high diving into the dawn sky, baking trees in a surrounding coconut grove in the coastal area where many live in insubstantial huts. Also, the fire on the 18-inch pipeline owned by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) was extinguished by mid-morning and the gas had been cut off.

It is learnt from the local sources that a similar leakage occurred at the same site 15 days back. Instead of giving it a permanent solution, apparently, the GAIL authorities had capped the leakage and repaired the pipeline on a temporary basis, added sources. Also, the gas spread up to a radius of nearly 200 meters on Friday. The gas leak damaged nearby areas and charred nearby houses and trees. Panic-stricken villagers of Nagaram village fled away as soon as the incident took place.

GAIL is the country's largest state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company and its website shows it has a pipeline that transports liquefied natural gas in the area of the explosion.