Vehari police book four for stealing fuel as another oil tanker flips over

Incident occurs due to speeding while no loss of life is reported

MULTAN: In a recent development, police have booked four people for stealing fuel from an oil tanker that flipped over in Vehari on July 9.

The accident occurred after the fuel-laden vehicle was speeding on Burewala Road, police said.  Soon after the incident, people rushed to the scene and began siphoning fuel from the tanker.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Vehari District Police Officer Umar Saeed Malik said a case had been registered against four suspects at Saddar police station for stealing fuel from the tanker. Those arrested included a driver, helper and two workers of a nearby poultry farm.



He said, “An FIR 17/476 has been registered against four people under sections 279, 427, 285 and 286 of Pakistan Penal Code. The police managed to nab the four suspects while further investigation is underway.”

He maintained, “When the oil tanker flipped over due to speeding, the workers of a poultry shed situated in the area started collecting fuel in bottles and drums.” He added, “However, the police and rescue officials reached the spot and cordoned off the area.”



The DPO pointed out that after hectic efforts of four hours, the fuel from the tanker was safely unloaded with no loss of life. “The fuel was shifted to another tanker,” he said.

Umar Saeed said the oil tanker was carrying 10,000 tonnes of diesel but it had the capacity of 25,000 tonnes. “The tanker overturned due to speeding and it was heading towards a local shed in Vehari District from Multan.” He said the tanker was also in police custody.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commisisoner Ali Akhbar Bhatti told The Express tribune that the report of the incident had been sent to Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He claimed, “Only workers of the poultry farm came to collect fuel and there was no general public on the spot.”

Earlier on June 25, 2017, a harrowing tragedy struck Punjab when an overturned oil tanker exploded in a huge fireball on the outskirts of Bahawalpur, killing more than 200 people and injuring scores more.

The disaster occurred on a stretch of highway cutting through the village of Ramzanpur Joya as crowds scrambled to collect fuel from the tanker before it ignited, ignoring warnings to stay clear. The speeding tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel overturned on a main highway while travelling from Karachi to Lahore.



The driver lost control when the vehicle blew a tyre. A large crowd of people gathered, many to collect fuel in containers. The charred wreckage of dozens of motorcycles and cars was scattered on the highway, along with kitchen utensils, pots, water coolers, jerry cans and buckets which victims had brought to collect the petrol.

Later, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) held a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell responsible for the tanker explosion.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 11^th, 2017.