OGRA holds Shell company responsible for Bahawalpur inferno

ISLAMABAD: Holding Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) responsible for Ahmedpur Sharqia inferno, Pakistan’s Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Friday has ordered the subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to pay about Rs10 million as penalty against the damages inflicted in wake of oil tanker blast, claiming over 200 lives.

The tragic incident took place a day before Eid-ul-Fitr on June 25 after oil container carrying gasoline for the company rolled over causing fuel leakage.

The report compiled by the OGRA revealed that the incident was caused by non-professional driving while overlooking the safety standards.

OGRA spokesperson Imran Ghaznavi apprised media that the referred company has completely ignored the safety standards of the vehicles procured from the contractors.

Besides penalty, the regulatory authority has also directed to pay Rs1 million and Rs0.5 million as compensation to families of deceased and injured respectively.

The report also asserted that the oil tanker of the private company did not meet the set standards and the fitness certificate of the oil tanker was also fake.

Earlier, the company issued a statement with regard to the incident that road safety is a priority at Shell. “Our transport vehicles undergo regular maintenance and checks to ensure road worthiness,” the statement added.