A petrol pump situated in a residential area here was gutted in a major fire that broke out while fuel was being unloaded at the outlet.
No casualties, however, were reported and the flames were doused within couple of hours by more than 12 fire-tenders which were pressed into service, officials said.
According to the SHO (Shastrinagar) Subhash Sharma, the fire broke out at the IOC outlet on Pal Link Road while a tanker was unloading fuel at the underground tank.
"The tanker suddenly caught fire, which spread so fast and engulfed entire petrol pump except three front side fuel pumps and the underground tank," Sharma said.
Four explosions were also reported from the accident site, he added.
He said the cause behind the fire is yet to be ascertained and it will be probed why the attendants continued to provide fuel at the time of unloading.
While the staff there fled after the incident, locals gathered near the spot and sought its shifting from the residential area, saying earlier too that had raised the matter when the outlet was being constructed.
