Mock drill at BPCL LPG bottling plant commemorates Bhopal disaster

[email protected] (DHNS. Photos by Suresh Vamanjoor)
December 5, 2014

Mangaluru, Dec 5: An operator noticed a leakage in the LPG pipeline connecting the 650 metric tonne LPG storage sphere bottom to the Remote Operated Valve (ROV), at the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) LPG bottling plant at Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru on Thursday at around 11.20 am.

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Immediately the emergency siren was blown, which was followed by the fire extinguishing process, initially by the fire hydrant facility of the factory. Subsequently, the fire tenders from the mutual aid partners and fire tenders from the State Fire and Emergency Services arrived at the spot and all started dousing the fire.

This was a scenario during the off-site mock drill organised by the Dakshina Kannada District Administration, District Disaster Management Authority, and District Disaster Management Cell in association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited LPG bottling plant and Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited as a part of Chemical Disaster Prevention Day, to commemorate the Bhopal tragedy of 1984, at BPCL premises.

Later, addressing media persons, District Chief Fire Officer H S Varadarajan said that leakage in the LPG pipeline may result in fireballs due to Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE). There is another sphere of 600 MT capacity and four small spheres of 125 MT capacity. The fireballs may hit all other spheres resulting in worst, which is called as domino effect or cascading effect.

Deputy Director of Factories Nanjappa said that Emergency Control Centre of MCF Limited was used as Local Emergency Control Room. The casualties' injured during the incident were taken to first aid centre at Occupational Health Centre at the factory and then to the OHC at MCF Limited, which is outside the danger zone, using Mangalore Refinery and Petroleum Limited and New Mangalore Port Trust ambulances. All persons in the plant were evacuated on declaration of off-site emergency, he said.

MCF Director Prabhakar Rao said that chemicals should be handled carefully according to National Disaster Management Act. There is threat from chemicals always. It may be in the form of poor design of containers, equipment fault, natural calamity or terrorist attack. Four important things of NDMA guidelines are preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. Chemicals can affect entire humanity and environment.

There is a need for increasing awareness among stakeholders. Though companies have off-site and on-site plans, they should be put into practice, he said.

One of the observers, Ambabhavani Kumar from HPCL said that wind direction is a very important point to be observed during the disaster management process. Nagaraj of Total Oil said that vehicular and manual movement should be restricted within 432 metre of the disaster zone, which is also called as danger zone.

Communication should be improved during the disaster management. Signboards should be put throughout the emergency route and route should be kept clear. Mariannavar of MCF Limited said that the residents who live at the danger zone were not aware about the chemical disaster. They should be informed about the chemical disasters, he said.

Assistant Commissioner Ashok, District Disaster Management Cell Expert Member Dr Srinikethan and CFO H Varadarajan among others were present.

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

Mockdrill at bykampadi 4 1

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
November 29,2025

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New Delhi: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday put up a dramatic display of unity at a closely watched joint press briefing, firmly dismissing weeks of speculation about a power-sharing tussle within the Congress. With the high command nudging both leaders to sit together and settle the dust, the meeting became a political spectacle, ending with the duo declaring that there was “no confusion, no differences.”

Calling the reports of a rift “manufactured confusion,” Siddaramaiah said the talks had gone smoothly, even joking about their breakfast. “Breakfast was very good. All three of us enjoyed it,” he said. “We want to end this confusion once and for all. For local elections and for 2028, our mission is clear — Congress must return to power. There is no difference between me and DKS, not now, not before.”

He blamed the media for fuelling rumours and reiterated absolute adherence to the party leadership. “From tomorrow, let there be no confusion. What the high command says, we will follow.”

Siddaramaiah also assured that the Assembly session starting December 8 would run smoothly and vowed that Congress would take on the BJP and JD(S) “together.”

Shivakumar echoed the chief minister word for word, stressing loyalty and discipline. “People have given us a massive mandate. It is our duty to deliver,” he said. “This government was formed under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. We both have complete trust in the high command. If they tell me to wait, I will wait.”

He added that the two leaders had discussed strategy for the 2028 Assembly elections. “Whatever the CM says, I agree. We are loyal soldiers of the party. The party may be facing challenges nationally, but we will keep it strong in Karnataka.”

Shivakumar also said Siddaramaiah would soon visit his home for lunch or dinner — another symbolic gesture meant to underline their unity.

Both leaders later posted on social media describing the breakfast meeting as “productive” and focused on “Karnataka’s priorities.”

The BJP, however, rejected the show of camaraderie as “pure bunkum,” accusing Congress of trying to paper over an internal power struggle. But Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar insisted their united front would continue — and that there was “no confusion” within the state leadership.

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