Kathmandu, December 13

A petrol pump at Gwarko in Lalitpur was caught in heavy flames after a petrol ferrying vehicle caught fire this evening.

The petrol tanker, which was parked at the premises of Ujjwal Petrol Pump in Gwarko, was badly damaged by the fire which started at the front-end of the vehicle at around 6:25 pm.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Mitra Bandhu Sharma of Metropolitan Police Circle, Satdobato said, the fire began due to a short circuit in the battery of the vehicle that was refilling the underground tank of the petrol pump. “Apparently, the petrol transporter was filling petrol at the pump when a short circuit on the vehicle’s battery ignited the fire,” DSP Sharma said.

He further said, the underground petrol tank was saved from burning. A large flame of fire, however, was seen engulfing the walls of private houses at the premises of the petrol pump.

The fire was taken under control within about 40 minutes, as per DSP Sharma. According to police, with the help of two fire engines deployed from Lalitpur and another from Kathmandu, the flames were put out preventing further damage in the area.

No casualties or serious injuries were reported in the incident and timely intervention prevented further damage to the petrol pump. Meanwhile, people living in the neighbouring houses were terrorised for over 40 minutes after black smoke engulfed their houses.