HOAX: Filling petrol tank to maximum limit in summers could cause explosion

“इंडियन ऑइल ने दी चेतावनी

आने वाले दिनों में तापमान में वृद्धि होना तय है , इसलिए अपने वाहन में पेट्रोल अधिकतम सीमा तक न भरवायें। यह ईंधन टैंक में विस्फोट का कारण बन सकता है। कृपया आप अपने वाहन में आधा टैंक ही ईंधन भरवायें और एयर के लिए जगह रखें। इस हफ्ते 5 विस्फोट दुर्घटनाओं की वजह , अधिकतम पेट्रोल भरने से हुआ है। कृपया पेट्रोल टंकी को दिन में एक बार खोलकर अंदर बन रही गैस को बाहर निकलने दे।

नोट : इस मैसेज को आप अपने परिवार सदस्यों व अन्य सभी को भेजें , जिससे लोग इस दुर्घटना से बच सकें धन्यवाद”

Translation: “Warning by Indian Oil

Temperature increase in coming days is certain, hence do not fill petrol in your vehicle to the brim. This could become a cause for explosion. Please fill only half talk and leave some room for air. This week, 5 such incidents took place due to excessive filling of petrol. Kindly open the petrol tank once a day to release the built up gas inside.

Note: Send this message to your family members and others, so that they may be saved from such disaster.”

The above message in Hindi has been circulating on WhatsApp, warning citizens not to fill the fuel tanks of their vehicles to the maximum limit, as it may lead to explosion due to rising heat. The message has been attributed to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

Some followers had requested verification of this information. Alt News found that this message in Hindi had circulated in 2016 on Facebook, along with a video which showed a bike at a petrol pump catching fire, before it is extinguished. The same claim had been shared in 2018 as well, along with another video.

It had appeared on Twitter as well in 2016.

INDIAN OIL HAD CLARIFIED ON RUMOUR

The state-owned oil and gas company had issued a clarification on Twitter in June 2018, disowning the statement attributed to it. It further added that it is absolutely safe to fill the fuel tank to the maximum limit.

Important announcement from #IndianOil. @PetroleumMin @dpradhanbjp @ChairmanIOCL @AshutoshJindalS @RK_Mohapatra pic.twitter.com/v2ZSgruJm2

— Indian Oil Corp Ltd (@IndianOilcl) June 10, 2018

It may be noted that Indian Oil had issued the same clarification in 2017 as well. Alt News found that this rumour has been circulating in India at least since 2015.

NO SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE BEHIND CLAIM

The claim that filling up the fuel tank in the vehicle to the maximum limit will trigger an explosion, makes little scientific sense. This is because the auto-ignition temperature (the minimum temperature required to ignite a gas or vapour in air without a spark or flame being present) for petrol is 495°F or 257°C. This is way higher than the temperature that an insulated tank can attain in summers with the highest recorded temperature on earth being 56.7°C (134°F), which was measured on 10 July 1913 at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California, USA.

VIRAL IN PAKISTAN AND UAE

The claim that a full tank in searing heat will lead to explosion, is not restricted to India. In May 2018, Pakistan State Oil had clarified via a Facebook post that it had not issued any such warning to customers.

In UAE, the rumour had gone viral as early as 2012, through a spate of email warning customers against filling up their fuel tanks.

Indian Oil Corp Ltd. has issued no such warning asking customers to refrain from filling up their fuel tanks. This is a rumour which has been shared primarily on WhatsApp.