Suspected adulterated kerosene oil provided through the Public Distribution System (PDS) in Assam’s Dhubri district has claimed three lives in the last five days.
At least 20 persons have been injured and three killed since July 20 in explosions caused by kerosene bought from fair price shops under PDS in Golokganj and Gauripur areas of the district.
Dhubri civil hospital sources said 20 people had been admitted with burn injuries caused by these explosions and one person has been referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital with serious injuries.
The number of casualties has gone up to three with the death of an injured woman last night.
Alarmed at the rising number of incidents, deputy commissioner (DC) Sunil Dutta has ordered that sale of kerosene under PDS in the area be stopped immediately and also asked people to return the kerosene they had bought in the past few days.
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Sale has been stopped at nine depots between Golakganj and Gauripur, which were provided kerosene by four tankers of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) recently.
Meanwhile, an IOC team has already collected samples of the suspected contaminated kerosene and sent them to laboratories in Hyderabad for testing.
Another team arrived today and will further collect samples. Forensic experts from Kolkata are also expected to arrive shortly, the DC added.
