Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for immediate relief to be sent to >GAIL gas pipeline burst victims. At least, 13 people were killed and 7 critically injured in a gas leak-cum-pipeline burst in Nagaram village of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Friday.

“My thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives in the GAIL pipeline fire in Andhra Pradesh,” Modi said in a statement. “I have spoken to the Petroleum Minister, Cabinet Secretary & GAIL Chairman and asked them to ensure immediate relief at the accident site,” he added.

Modi has also announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to the next of kin of the people who died. This in addition to the relief assistance to be given by GAIL and Petroleum Ministry. An ex-gratia relief of Rs 50,000 has also been announced for the people injured in the fire.

High-level probe

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also added that a high-level probe has been ordered to find the cause for the fire.

The high-level committee will be headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Executive Director, HPCL, Executive Director, Oil Industry Safety Directorate, and a nominee from the National Disaster management Authority (NDMA).

The Minister, along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Chairman, GAIL, are rushing to the site, a Petroleum & Natural Gas Ministry statement said.

The blast in the pipeline belonging to Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) took place at around 5.30 a.m. due to a gas leak in the pipeline.

There have been some deaths and casualties, and the exact number is being ascertained, the statement said adding that "All the steps have been taken on the site for prevention, like closing of input/output valves to the pipeline. The cause of the accident is still not known."

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