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17 killed in India army ammunition depot fire

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  • As Six are killed, 20 injured in two bomb attacks in Turkey’s Sirnak province

A fire at one of India’s largest military ammunition depots Tuesday killed at least 17 people and injured scores more, officials said, as footage showed flames lighting up the night sky.

The blaze broke out overnight at the high security depot stockpiling tonnes of weapons and ammunition near the city of Nagpur in central India.

“Seventeen people have died. Nineteen are injured but are out of danger,” Smita Patil, superintendent of Wardha district police, told AFP by phone from the scene.

“An operation is in progress and the fire has been brought under control,” Patil added.

Thousands of families living in nearby towns and villages have been evacuated from surrounding areas in Pulgaon, in the western state of Maharashtra, amid fears of secondary explosions at the depot.

The Press Trust of India news agency said two officers were among the 17 soldiers to have died, while the NDTV network said the huge blaze had broken out after an explosion.

India’s military has a history of fires and other accidents that have been blamed on lax safety standards, including a blaze on a submarine that left two officers dead off the Mumbai coast in 2014.

Firefighters using ten fire engines worked through the night to contain the depot blaze, Ramesh Barde, a fire officer with the Nagpur fire department, told AFP.

“The fire broke out at 1:30 am (2100 GMT Monday) and nearby fire engines reached the venue by 2:30 am,” he said.

“The fire was brought under control by 6:15 am. The situation is under control and a report is being prepared,” he added, speaking from the scene.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “pained by loss of lives”, adding on Twitter that his “thoughts are with the bereaved families”.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the accident had caused a “great loss of lives and property”.

“It’s a very unfortunate incident. Many of our men were killed in the blaze,” he told reporters.

In 2007, in the northern region of Indian Kashmir, a fire wrecked an ammunition dump, exploding artillery shells and mortar rounds, which rained down on surrounding villages. At least 17 people were killed and two dozen injured.

A fire also ripped through one of the army’s largest ammunition depots in 2010 in Kolkata, destroying 150 tonnes of explosives and ammunition. No-one was killed in the accident.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was reportedly on his way to the accident site, around 700 kilometres (435 miles) east of Mumbai.

In the meantime, six persons, including two police officers, were killed and 20 others were injured in two bomb attacks in Turkey’s Sirnak province on Monday, local media reported.

In the first attack, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants placed explosives under manhole cover and detonated it with remote control while a police vehicle was passing, killing four and injuring 19 people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two police officers were killed and one other was injured in the second attack by the PKK members in Van province. The bomb was detonated with remote control targeting an armored police car.

MSN with additional report from Zee News

Accidents

FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

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FRSC Confirms 6 Dead, 5 Injured In Ibadan Road Accident

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command, has confirmed the death of six persons in an accident involving multiple vehicles on Monday at Oke Eleshin, Amuloko area of the State.

The FRSC Public Education Officer in the State, Mayowa Odewo, told newsmen in Ibadan on Monday in a message that five persons were injured in the accident.

Odewo said eleven persons were involved in the accident, while the five vehicles involved were two tricycles, two trucks and a Sienna vehicle.

He said the five injured persons had been taken to Amuloko City Hospital by good Samaritans, while the corpses were taken to University College Hospital, Ibadan, before the arrival of FRSC personnel.

Odewo urged drivers to adhere strictly to road safety rules and regulations to reduce avoidable crashes.

An eyewitness revealed that among the dead were pupils and a mother to one of the pupils.

The witness said that a trailer appeared to have lost control and rammed into the vehicles.”

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Accidents

Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

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Ember Months: 2 Children Die, 7 Injured In Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway Accident

…As Osun accident claims 4 lives – FRSC

Two children were confirmed dead in a lone accident involving a Toyota Camry at Kere, Itori on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

Mrs Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident in a statement in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Okpe noted that the accident occurred at about 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

She explained that the accident was caused by speeding, saying that the car marked AGL 36 JA was overloaded with passengers.

“A total of seven men, one male child and a female child were involved in the crash.

“One male child and one female child were killed in the accident while others sustained different forms of injury in the crash,” she said.

The FRSC spokesperson added that the injured victims were taken to the General Hospital, Ifo, while the corpses were deposited at the morgue.

She advised motorists to always adhere to traffic rules and regulations. 

In another development, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osun Command, says four persons lost their lives in Sunday’s accident that occurred on the Osun-Ondo expressway.

Mr Taofeeq Sokumbi, Osun Sector Commander, disclosed this in an interview in Osogbo.

Sokumbi said the accident occurred opposite Joseph Ayo Babalola University due to excessive speeding on the part of the vehicles involved, leading to the death of four passengers.

He warned motorists against dangerous driving which could lead to loss of lives and property.

According to him, the accident was due to the carelessness of the driver, who knew the danger that lay ahead due to excessive speeding.

He said the injured persons had been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment with corpses of the dead victims deposited at a morgue.

Sokumbi, however, warned that the command would not hesitate to deal with any road offender violating the state’s safety laws.

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Accidents

Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

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Tanker Tyre Explosion Sparks Chaos In Surulere

 Pandemonium engulfed Ekololu, a community in the Surulere area of Lagos, on Monday night when the back tyres of a tanker transporting fuel to a Conoil filling station burst into flames near the station.

The News Correspondent who resides in the area reports that the explosion of the tyres and the ensuing billows of smoke made residents living near the filling station flee for safety.

Observations by the newsmen revealed that staff from the filling station hurried out with fire extinguishers to combat the fire, which erupted around 9:00 p.m., just a few meters from the station’s entrance.

Emergency responders, including Federal and State Fire Services, as well as the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), swiftly arrived at the scene following distress calls from the community.

The ill-fated tanker that caused the pandemonium

Upon arrival, the emergency teams assessed the unregistered truck carrying the petrol and raised concerns about safety measures while questioning the driver and filling station management.

They provided guidance and oversaw the safe discharge of the fuel using a long hose to transfer the petroleum product from the stranded tanker into the filling station’s reservoirs.

The Station Manager of the Conoil filling station, Mr Kunle Oniya, informed the emergency responders that the station possessed 20 fire extinguishers, which were promptly utilised to contain the fire and prevent its spread.

The incident led to a traffic gridlock, with vehicles unable to move in the area for nearly an hour.

Some residents shared their experiences of the ordeal with the newsmen.

A resident, Malam Shehu, recounted abandoning his dinner upon witnessing the fiery explosion.

He expressed gratitude that the fire was contained before causing further damage.

Another resident, known as Iya Abigail, described hearing people shouting while she was playing games, prompting her to flee in confusion wearing her nightclothes.

She prayed for continued safety in the community.

An elderly resident, who preferred anonymity, urged filling stations in the area to prioritise safety and the welfare of residents.

She noted that filling stations typically had insurance against fire and other disasters and suggested extending such coverage to vulnerable buildings in their host communities.

Recalling the chaotic events, she said that she heard the sound of an emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood before hastily evacuating her home.

“I was watching TV and when the incident occurred, I had to blow the emergency whistle to alert the neighbourhood but I quickly dressed up before running out of the house,” she said. 

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