Mumbai: Butcher Island fire under control, cooling process underway

Mumbai: The Mumbai Fire Brigade has confirmed that the fire, which broke out at an oil tank farm of the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) on Butcher Island on Friday, is under control now and cooling process is underway now.

Chief Fire Officer Mumbai Fire Brigade, P S Rahandale has confirmed that the fire at the Butcher Island fire has been taken under control and cooling operation is in process now.

He informed that the fire was confined to state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited's (BPCL) tank No 13, which exploded due to high heat.

Due to tremendous heat, the affected tank defragmented at about 11:45 am on Friday.

There was fear of involvement of other tanks in the fire and huge risk was also feared for the persons involved in the fire-dousing operations.

Rahandale added that aggressive fire fighting operation was under taken by MFB and MPT fire fighting team with the help of three fixed monitors and two portable foam induction monitors.

Simultaneously, cooling operation is in process of adjoining tank no 14, 15, 16 and 12 by using water curtain from all sides.

The Chief Fire Officer commended the fire fighting teams and said it was the best operation as usually in past, huge damage to property and loss of lives have occurred in such operations. But the teams involved here made it possible to contain the fire to affected tank in a three-day day and night operation.