A compound wall and a section of a house caught fire when a group of contract labourers allegedly damaged a GAIL gas pipeline while laying HT cables at AECS Layout in Singasandra on Saturday evening. Residents started to panic when they saw smoke billowing out of the ground around 7 p.m. while the contract workers fled to save themselves as the fire started to spread.
A maintenance team from GAIL along with Fire and Emergency Services personnel arrived at the spot soon after. It took two hours to bring the situation under control and restore the supply of gas, said Ravi Kumar Rebba, chief manager, GAIL.
Mr. Ravi Kumar has lodged a complaint against Bescom officials and the contractor for endangering the lives of residents. Based on the complaint, the Parappana Agrahara police have charged them under Section 286 (Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance) and Section 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of other) of the Indian Penal Code.
The GAIL official alleged that Bescom officials had not informed them of the work or taken permission for digging.
Permission mandatory
As per the guidelines, it is mandatory for civic agencies to obtain a written permission from GAIL authorities before commencing any work. This way, a GAIL team can be deputed on site for coordination and guidance.
Though many such incidents have occurred in the recent past, the Saturday incident is the second major one since October 2018, said the police.
