Body parts found in debris at IOC plant blast

Police on Thursday recovered body parts from the debris of the explosion that rocked a section of the Gujarat refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd at Koyli, near here. This ran contrary to the claims made by the IOC officials that there was no casualty in the blast.

After the explosion in the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) of the IOC last Friday, TMK Engineering had lodged a complaint that two of its workers were missing. The complaint was registered in Jawaharnagar police station. The police personnel were present at plant site when the debris was being removed.

Debris from the blast was being removed from the site for the past three days.

IOC's senior officials had denied that the two missing workers "" Budha Gohil and Jadgdish Parmar "" were at the FCCU at the time of explosion. However, the executive director BN Bankapur today said: "We had stated everything as per our records. The missing workers were not present in the FCCU. But we have conveyed to the family members of the missing workers that we will act as per the norms."

A senior official of Forensic Sciences Laboratory told Business Standard: "The blast in slurry settler of the FCCU led to the final explosion. We have also received information that body parts have been recovered from the debris and we may have to go in for DNA testing, as body parts are not sufficient for identification of the workers."

The Police Commissioner of Vadodara city had earlier said that officials of the IOC will be charged under IPC sections 304 (A) and 337 for negligent act resulting in death and injuries.

The villagers and workers had organised a protest rally in Koyli on Wednesday and vandalised the staff buses and vehicles of IOC personnel. The villagers were demanding appropriate compensation for the family members of the victims and safety measures in and around the refinery.