BAHAWALPUR: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) at a ceremony held at Circuit House here on Wednesday distributed compensation cheques among 240 affected people of the Ahmedpur East oil tanker tragedy.

The recipients [of cheques] given by Ogra Senior Executive Director Imran Ghaznavi and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rana Muhammad Saleem Afzal included heirs of 183 deceased and 57injured.

Each victim`s legal heir and injured was given Rs1 million and Rs0.5m, respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, the Ogra executive director said it was for the first time that any oil marketing company had been fined. The DC said the district administration evolved a foolproof process for expeditious payment of compensation amount to the affected people.

Talking to Dawn, [Ogra] Executive Director ImranGhaznavi said an emergency plan was on the anvil to check such disasters in future. For the purpose, he said all respective departments, including National Highways and Motorway police (NH&MP), highway police patrolling, police of all provinces, Rescue 1122, civil defence were taken on board to evolve a workable plan.

He said Ogra had asked the oil marketing companies to ensure compliance of four conditions -licences of oil tankers` drivers, tankers fitness certificates, drivers` health certificates and deployment of minimum two drivers on a vehicle with equal duty hours.

The DC told this reporter three victims could not be identified.

The Punjab government`s monetary assistance worth Rs2m each was paid to legal heirs of 221 identified victims and Rsim to each of the 57 injured.

However, he added the Rs2m compensation to [heirs of] 26 victims would be paid after determination of heirs by respective courts where their cases were being heard.