Fire at Deoghar IOCL depot prompts village evacuation

A significant fire broke out at the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) depot in Deoghar's Jasidih industrial area on Tuesday. The fire was extinguished after two and a half hours. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported. Videos on social media showed large flames and thick black smoke near the depot. Officials noted that the situation could have been much worse if the fire had reached the terminal, which stores petrol, diesel, and other oil products for Jharkhand, Bihar, and Bengal. Emergency teams responded quickly, using five fire engines and all firefighting equipment available at the depot. While the exact cause of the fire is not known yet, early investigations suggest it started from a bushfire in nearby Badladih village. Strong winds helped the fire spread rapidly to the depot's parking area. Thanks to quick actions by district and IOCL officials, numerous oil-laden tankers were moved away from danger, preventing the fire from reaching the main terminal. The fire was reported around 2 pm and was under control by 5 pm, according to local official Ravi Kumar. As a precaution, authorities evacuated 2,000 people from nearby Badladih and Santhaldih villages to ensure their safety. Additionally, a passenger train and a goods train were relocated from the nearby Jasidih railway station.