Bharatpur blaze put out

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 30. The fire in the Bharatpur ammunition depot, which destroyed between 8,000 to 10,000 tonnes of ammunition, has been put out, with no random explosions taking place since last evening.

``The situation is under control and the fire has been put out. The last explosion as a result of bursting of shells took place at 5.30 p.m. yesterday,'' a Defence Ministry spokesman said, quoting Lt. Gen. S.K Bhatnagar, who heads the ordnance services.

Official sources said the death toll in the fire rose to five, with two of the wounded succumbing to injuries.

Meanwhile, the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, called on the Prime Minister for about 30 minutes to brief him about the fire and the steps taken to contain it.

Talking to a private television channel, Mr. Fernandes said he had appealed to the residents of villages near Bharatpur to stay away during the combing operations. According to reports from Bharatpur, Army personnel, along with local authorities, have begun retrieving partially exploded and unexploded shells.

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