Monday, August 1 2005 15:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government is looking at the possibility of setting up an independent inquiry committee to look into the recent fire at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) oil installation at Mumbai High that killed 10 people.

"Very possibly we are looking into it", Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar told newsperson here today (August 1, 2005).

Last week a three-member committee headed by former ONGC Chairman S K Manglik was set up to probe the cause of the massive fire that destroyed a major oil platform in Mumbai offshore area and left 10 people dead.

Besides Manglik, the committee included former GAIL Chairman S S Cheena and former ONGC Director (Technical) Ishwari Dutt.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, who have experts for incident investigation, were also to assist in the probe and suggest measures to avoid such accidents in future.

The accident last week wiped away 15 per cent of India's 665,000 barrels per day oil output. The accident also threatens to delay the ongoing Rs 8,000 crore project to raise production from Mumbai High fields.