Bathinda: A massive fire broke out in the ethanol storage tank at the extra neutral alcohol (ENA) distillery at Machhana village in Bathinda on Friday. Over a dozen fire tenders doused the blaze after several hours of struggle.The reason behind the fire and the losses is yet to be ascertained.The distillery – Bathinda Chemicals Limited (BCL) – produces alcohol and ethanol to be blended with petrol. Flames were spotted from one of the tanks in the distillery and ethanol unit at Machhana village around 9 am. Panic gripped the village as residents feared the fire spreading to nearby areas.Initially, two fire tenders from the distillery began fighting the blaze, but since it couldn’t be controlled, authorities called in additional tenders from the Bathinda municipal corporation, Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Bhisiana Air Force Station and other industrial units.A BCL spokesperson said a technical team had started investigations to determine the causes of the fire and to identify corrective measures to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future. The team will also assess the loss caused by the fire.H S Sra, DSP, Bathinda Rural, said that upon getting information about the fire incident in the ethanol storage tank, the police teams reached the spot and contacted the fire brigade offices at different places.The fire has been controlled, and no loss of life has been reported. The police are looking into the matter, he added.
