News
India: Shell petrol pumps back after 3 decades The government has decided to allow Shell India Private Limited (SIPL), a subsidiary of the Shell group of companies, to market transportation fuel in India. Shell will now be able to set up its petrol pumps all over India after three decades. Shell was nationalised in 1972 and became Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. The authorisation is, however, subject to the company furnishing a Rs 500 crore bank guarantee to the government. This will go towards fulfilling its commitment of investing Rs 2,000 crore in building infrastructure in the hydrocarbon sector. SIPL will also have to stick to the yearly investment target set by the government. The company will also be required to set up 11 per cent of its retail outlets in farflung areas, according to an official press release issued here today. SIPL plans to set up around 2,000 retail outlets across the country. The company informed the government that it would prefer to source its supplies from domestic refineries. It also plans to make use the installations and depots of public sector oil companies in the country. "This decision goes a long way towards fulfilling the government's goal of bringing in more players in the marketing of transportation fuel so that consumers have a wider choice of quality products and services. At the same time, the new entrant in the lucrative marketing segment of the Indian petroleum sector has to commit investment for creating more infrastructure in the country," the press release said. In addition to the 20,000 retail outlets run by the public sector, the government has granted marketing rights to the Reliance group (5,849 outlets), Essar Oil (1,700) ONGC (600) and Numaligarh Refinery (510). These entities would also have to fulfill the government's condition of investing in infrastructure in the hydrocarbon sector.
Iraq: 7 Dead in petrol station blast At least seven people have been burned to death at a petrol station in an impoverished Baghdad neighbourhood after a spark turned the site into a raging inferno. Another 20 were badly hurt, and rescue workers and US soldiers said more bodies remained trapped inside.
The station was still burning hours after it was set alight, trapping helpless people who had been queuing to buy petrol. The fire did not appear to be a criminal or terrorist act, but the cause was not immediately clear today. Local firemen were overwhelmed by the size of the blaze and residents risked their lives to try to rescue those inside, drenching themselves in water before racing into the roaring flames. "There are still charred bodies littering the ground, but we can't get to them," said Hassan al-Awani, 18, one of the civilian volunteers. "They are scattered all over in tiny pieces so there's no way to tell how many more there are." Iyad Hashem, an official at Karameh hospital, said that at least seven people had been killed and 20 others badly burned, most of them in critical condition. "There may be more wounded because some were taken to other hospitals. Eighteen people are in critical condition, burned over 70 to 90 per cent of their bodies." He pointed to the hospital's list of dead, which was blank. "I can't give you any names. They have been burnt beyond all recognition." The stench of burned flesh was thick in the air around the site, in the city's poor Alawi quarter. Firefighters gave up hope of putting out the blaze and asked US troops to bring a bulldozer to dig up earth to cover the station. Witnesses said dozens of people were waiting to buy petrol, one of the most coveted commodities in post-war Baghdad, where many are still without electricity and running water. The streets of the city are lined with men and children selling petrol out of makeshift containers, and some witnesses said they thought a spark from someone dragging his purchase along the ground had set off the blaze. Gunfire was also heard in the area just before the fire erupted. Most residents said this was in celebration of electricity briefly returning to the neighbourhood, but it was unclear if shots hit the station. Baghdad residents have taken to firing in the air any time electricity is turned back. Witness Ishab Fajr, 19, said: "The fire spread so fast that people's shirts caught fire as they were running away." US troops quickly arrived on the scene after noticing the tower of smoke in the sky. "There was very little we could do," said one of the soldiers, who asked that his name not be used. After US troops cordonned off the area, relatives and neighbours became angry that they could not get into the site to continue the search for remains. "Why won't you let us through?" one
woman shouted as US soldiers kept back the crowd. "We want to get at our loved ones." One American soldier embraced a young boy who was weeping on the pavement. The child said his father was missing.
South Africa: warning - your cell phone could cause fire Answering a cell phone while filling up at a petrol station might prove disastrous. This warning, issued by the South African Retail Motor Industry (RMI), follows reports of ringing cell phones causing fires at fuel stations overseas. It is believed that sparks from the phones ignited petrol fumes. According to the RMI, using a cell phone while filling up is not a high-risk activity. South African Bureau of Standards managing director of test laboratories Thembani Bukula said it was highly unlikely that a ringing cell phone could cause either enough heat or electromagnetic energy to ignite petrol fumes. "Tests at our laboratories have indicated that cell phones tend to heat up after conversations longer than 10 minutes, causing discomfort to users, but certainly not generating enough heat to set off a fire," he said. Cobus Roux, an engineer at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said that in extreme circumstances a loose battery in a cell phone might cause a spark.
Mobile Phones Again! Reports have resurfaced on the Internet rumor that cell phones could cause a fire if they ring while you are refueling your vehicle at the gas station. This rumor is making the e-mail rounds again in the guise of a warning that could save your life. This rumor has been proclaimed an urban legend by the Web site, Urbanlegends.about.com. Likewise by snopes.com, another Web site that specializes in myth busting. But, perhaps the most authentic information about cell phones at gas stations comes from the Petroleum Institute of America (PEI). According to PEI, although there has been a documented increase in automotive refueling fires, there is no evidence that any of them were caused by a cell phone. PEI brought Motorola, a leading cell phone manufacturer, into the picture. Motorola agreed with PEI that there is no evidence to suggest that cell phones pose any hazard at gas stations. (It's 25
