Indian Navy’s Seaking Helicopter assists in dousing fire at EIPL tanker
Indian Navy’s Seaking Helicopter dropping large quantities of water and foam over the tank at East India Petroleum Private Limited in Visakhapatnam on Monday
- The helicopter undertook multiple sorties from INS Dega, dropping large quantities of water
- About 10 fire engines were deployed to bring the situation under control
Visakhapatnam: A fire broke out over a tanker at East India Petroleum Private Limited (EIPL) in Visakhapatnam on Sunday afternoon following a lightning strike. Even as the rescue exercise was carried out with the coordination of fire tenders from the fire department, Visakhapatnam Port Authority, HPCL Visakh Refinery, among others, a huge fire erupted on top of an ethanol tanker once again on Monday.
As there’s a possibility for the flames to spread further to the rest of the tanks, the authorities concerned sought the assistance of the Indian Navy.
Rescue operations are underway with the help of Indian Navy helicopters. A 7,500-KL capacity petrol tank was hit by lightning on Sunday afternoon, resulting in the eruption of the massive fire. About 10 fire engines were deployed to bring the situation under control. However, the second fire outbreak caused panic among locals and people living in the surrounding areas.
The Indian Navy assists with firefighting efforts for controlling fire in EIPL static storage tank. As part of the exercise, fire and foam tenders from industrial agencies and the Indian Navy responded promptly towards extinguishing the fire. Indian Navy’s Seaking Helicopter was deployed with an underslung fire bucket to assist to put off the blaze.
The helicopter undertook multiple sorties from INS Dega, dropping large quantities of water and foam over the seat of the fire, bringing down the temperature and suppressing the flames. According to the officials, no one was injured in the incident that occurred twice in two consecutive days.
