Nepal Oil Corporation’s (NOC) Amalekhgunj depot lacks necessary equipment to prevent sudden accidents, putting the people living in surrounding areas at risk, according to NOC officials and technicians.

A fire or an explosion at the depot can cause damage within a radius of up to 30km, they said. “We lack necessary infrastructure to put off fire and mitigate other risks,” said NOC officials.

Established four decades ago, the depot has only one fire engine—that too has not been properly maintained. NOC officials said they wrote to the District Administration Office, Regional Administra-tion and the centre about the problem with the fire fighter, but they have yet to get any response.

Depot sources said infrastructure such as vertical tanks, pipeline, motor pump and electric earthing system have become very old and they may not be reliable in terms of safety. Chandi Kumar Karki, assistant chief at the depot, said they were taking every measure to ensure safety, “but many things need impro- vement and the centre must be serious about the issue.”

Locals are worried about any possible accident during the windy spring season. Recalling an arson at the depot some 15 years ago that killed two individuals, Sita Gurung, 47, said: “Everyone was running away to save their lives. People were so scared that my son returned home only after 10 days,” she said.

Others said they were living with a constant fear. “Even if we see small fire in the forest, we fear of a danger,” said a former lawmaker from Amalekhgunj.

Around 10,000 individuals live in areas around the depot.

Meanwhile, a fire engine at Simara Airport has remained dysfunctional for the last five years. The airport does not have a single fire engine now.