ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday agreed to pay a fine of about Rs 257 million ($2.4 million) in compensation for the tanker explosion on the outskirts of Bahawalpur that killed more than 200 people last month.
The fiery blast on June 25 was one of the worst accidents in the country’s history. A tanker carrying fuel rolled over in Punjab and villagers rushed to collect leaking fuel. Something then set off a fireball.
The regulator, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), held Shell Pakistan responsible for the accident in which 217 people died and 61 were injured.
The company said the tanker was owned by a contractor it hired to transport its fuel.
Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) said it would pay the fine to “comply with the regulator’s directive”.
In a statement, Shell Pakistan added, “However, we do so while reserving the right to contest the fine.”
The energy regulator ordered Shell Pakistan to pay a fine of Rs 10 million ($95,000).
In addition, it ordered the company to pay one million rupees ($9,400) in compensation to the families of each of those killed and half a million ($4,700) for each person injured.
Shell Pakistan said it did not accept liability but it did “clearly recognize that this was a tragedy that has deeply affected the community” as the holy month of Ramazan ended.
Published in Daily Times, July 12th , 2017.
