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A major fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Visakh Refinery in the Gajuwaka industrial area of Visakhapatnam late on Monday November 2 night, triggering panic among employees and residents of nearby localities. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, while all units of the refinery were said to be operating safely.
The fire broke out at around 10.15 pm at a sulphur pitch tank in the Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) of the refinery, located in Malkapuram. The blaze sent huge flames and thick plumes of black smoke into the sky, which were visible from surrounding areas, reports said.
The exact cause of the incident was yet to be established. Local residents and refinery employees said they heard sounds resembling an explosion shortly before the fire broke out.
According to reports, HPCL personnel were evacuated to safer locations as a precautionary measure, while power supply to the affected area was suspended to prevent further complications.
The refinery's internal firefighting teams rushed to the spot immediately and launched operations to contain the blaze. Although fire stations in other parts of the city were alerted, their assistance was not required, as the internal firefighting teams managed to bring the fire under control within a short time, police told local media.
Fire tenders were deployed and foam was being used to extinguish the remaining fire. Cooling operations were also initiated to prevent the possibility of the blaze reigniting. The extent of damage caused by the incident was yet to be assessed.
In a statement, HPCL said its firefighting personnel responded promptly and brought the blaze under control. The company also assured that there were no casualties and that all units at the refinery were functioning safely.
