ISLAMABAD – Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) in its investigation report has declared private oil company Shell responsible for the deadly incident of Ahmadpur Sharqia, which has claimed over 200 lives so far.
Slapping the company with a fine Rs10 million due to negligence, the Ogra’s report revealed that the oil tanker, which exploded due to spilled oil after getting overturned on the road, was not made according to the set standards.
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The regulatory body has directed the local subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to pay at least 210 million rupees in damages and compensation.
A five-excel tanker is the standard to carry 50,000 litres of oil, but the ill-fated tanker was found to be four excel. The report also added that the oil company had not fulfilled the requirements of Ogra and other departments concerned.
The report stated that the fitness certificate for the vehicle was also fake.
Ogra directed the company to pay Rs1 million to the each family of deceased and Rs500,000 to every injured as compensation.
It has also directed that stern action will taken on not implementing the directions issued by the regulatory body.
The report also highlighted the negligence showed by local administration and Motorway Police for not taking precautions after the oil spilled on the road.
At least 212 people were killed and several injured after local villagers had gathered to collect the fuel spilling from the overturned tanker.
The oil tanker had overturned on a main highway while travelling from Karachi to Lahore, near the town of Ahmadpur East in Punjab province.
