HAZARIBAG: Deputy commissioner Aditya Kumar Anand on Thursday said the district administration is awaiting a formal report of the ongoing investigation into the kerosene blast mishaps that took two lives and injured a dozen others here to take punitive action against the perpetrators.
Notably, a slew of incidents of kerosene-fuelled lanterns bursting were reported over the last few days from the villages in the Sadar block of the district. On Wednesday, the administration had launched a probe and halted supply of kerosene from public distribution shops (PDS) till further orders.
Anand also said that at present, the priority is to first ascertain the cause of the blast. “We have identified an oil tanker which had supplied kerosene to around 38 PDS dealers. It has been seized and the PDS shops sealed after taking oil samples for lab tests. The coordinator and officials of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) depot from where the kerosene stocks were lifted is also under scanner,” he said.
Talking to TOI, he said, “We are yet to make any arrests. Once the report arrives, we shall take strict action. None will be spared for this mishap if found guilty.”
Meanwhile, Ranchi district administration on Wednesday night ordered an audit of kerosene stocks at all PDS shops in the district as a safety measure, informed a communique from the administration, adding officials have been asked to submit the findings within 24 hours.