Saturday, March 19, 2011

HPCL official falls into oil tank, dies

etails 6/4/10
HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, June 04, 2010

A 53-year-old deputy manager with Hindustan petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) died after falling into the plant’s oil storage tank at the Chembur on Thursday.

The police said Ajit Vartak, who was on night shift, had checked in on Wednesday night. However, when Vartak did not sign out after his shift got over at 8 am on Thursday, the staff at the plant got worried and started searching for him on the premises.

They even called up his colleagues who were with him during the night shift, but failed to get any clue about his whereabouts.

After a 30-minute search, one of the staff members found Vartak’s gloves lying near a petroleum storage tanker.

The staff also found the tanker’s cavity open.

The fire brigade was immediately informed.

After taking all the necessary precautions, the firemen cleaned the oil storage tank and found Vartak’s body inside.

The police suspect that Vartak could have climbed up the storage tank to check the oil level and may have slipped and fallen in.

Police said that the oil storage tanks were in bad shape and the company had put notice warning its employees against climbing on them.

“He could have slipped because the tank was greasy,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police J. Khandagle, of the Chembur police station .

Vartak was employed with the HPCL since 1982 and is survived by his wife and a daughter.

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