BPCL blames rain after water-mixed fuel affects MP CM's convoy vehicles

Business Standard

a day ago

After the vehicles in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's convoy stopped working as water-mixed fuel was filled in them, the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) on Saturday said "unusual heavy rainfall" caused water to enter fuel storage tanks at its petrol pump in Ratlam.
It also said that samples of fuel from the petrol pump were collected and sent for testing in the wake of the incident. The incident occurred on June 26 around 10 pm at the Shakti Fuels petrol pump at Dosigaon in Ratlam. Soon after refuelling there, all vehicles in the CM's convoy broke down and they had to be pushed and parked on the side of the road, according to officials. After the breakdown, the administration arranged new vehicles from Indore and also sealed the petrol pump.
In a statement, the BPCL said, "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to our customers by an isolated incident of presence of water in the diesel tank at our Fuel Station, M/s Shakti Fuel Point in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, which affected some vehicles on the evening of June 26, 2025."
"Preliminary inspections conducted by government officials, including the Food Inspector and Tehsildar, revealed water in the underground High-Speed Diesel (HSD) tank. In contrast, the petrol (MS) tank remained unaffected," it said.
Initial assessments indicate that the water presence in the diesel tank was likely due to unusual heavy rainfall in the area during the day. The dealer had checked both petrol and diesel tanks earlier that morning as per the standard operating procedure and no water presence was found in both the tanks, the public sector company said.
The fuel station sold high-speed diesel (HSD) to consumers prior to the time of the incident without any issues, it said. Following the directives from local authorities, the outlet was promptly closed at 11.45 pm on June 26. Fuel samples were collected and have been sent for testing, with results anticipated soon. As a precaution, all sales and supplies from the outlet have been stopped and the fuel station has been closed. A formal letter to the dealership has been issued, the BPCL said. "We are actively cooperating with authorities and are implementing all necessary corrective and preventive measures," it added.
The incident took place a day before CM Yadav's scheduled programme in Ratlam.
Additional Collector Shalini Shrivastava earlier told PTI that shortly after refuelling at the petrol pump, the engines of cars in the CM's convoy stopped working.
As soon as the complaint was received, a sample of fuel was collected from that petrol pump, and the establishment was immediately sealed, she said. The vehicles had been requisitioned for the Regional Industry, Skill and Employment Conclave MP Rise 2025 being organised in Ratlam.
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