The Mumbai Fire Brigade on Sunday said the blaze in Bharat Petroleum’s tanker at Butcher Island was now under control, and that the cooling operation was under way, ANI reported.
Earlier in the day, officials had said they would let the 30,000-kilolitre Bharat Petroleum tank burn until all the fuel was consumed, according to The Hindu. “The indicator on the tank that displays the quantity of diesel left in it seems to be out of order,” said Mumbai Port Trust spokesperson Rajendra Paibir. “BPCL officers are trying to gauge the level using infrared devices. The heat and smoke are proving to be deterrents.”
Authorities on Saturday said they needed more time to put out a fire at the loading hub for petroleum products near Mumbai. Though they had said the fire had been brought under control, there was still one diesel tank that continued to burn.
The fire broke out on Friday evening. An initial investigation suggested that lightning may have caused the fire, BPCL Executive Director and Head of safety Manohar Rao said. All employees had been evacuated from the area soon after the blaze broke out. As a precaution, vessels that were near the Jawahar Dweep, as it is officially known, were asked to move away.
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