Fire at oil depot in Jaipur

Five lakh residents around the area have been moved to safer locations, including students of 10 engineering and medical colleges. (AFP)

The blaze could be seen from up to 20 km. The surrounding area was evacuated and power cut off. The injured were been rushed to three major hospitals of Jaipur including the Sawai Man Singh Hospital. (AFP)

Petroleum Minister Murli Deora reached Jaipur on Oct 30, 2009 to take stock of the situation. The minister announced a compensation of Rs 5 to 10 lakh for the injured and the families of the dead. (AFP)

The chairman of the IOC has said this is the worst fire in the history of the Indian Oil Corporation. (AFP)

Sitapura industrial area, just 3 km from Jaipur, is a busy place with many heavy electrical industries and a number of engineering colleges. (NDTV)

Within minutes, two dozen fire extinguishers were rushed to the spot but given the 80 lakh litres of petroleum products in the depot, the fire spread rapidly engulfing the entire depot. Soon the state government was forced to seek help from the Union Petroleum Ministry. (NDTV)