Major fire breaks out at HPCL refinery in Vizag, no casualties

A fire occurred at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited Visakh Refinery during the night, alarming nearby residents.

VISAKHAPATNAM: A fire that broke out at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited's (HPCL) Visakhapatnam refinery in Malkapuram on Monday night was brought under control, with no casualties or injuries reported.The fire was confined to a pitch intermediate storage tank in the refinery's sulfur unit, and all units at the facility are operating safely, HPCL said.In a post on X, the company said the fire was reported around 10pm on November 2, following which its Fire and Safety Team immediately activated firefighting and emergency response measures."The fire was localised to the pitch tank area and was brought under control within a short time.

There have been no casualties," HPCL said, adding that all refinery units were functioning safely.Malkapuram Circle Inspector E Narasimha Rao said the fire involved sulfur pitch, a waste or bottom product generated in the refinery's sulfur unit. He said HPCL's own fire tenders were deployed to tackle the blaze and no external assistance was required."There are no casualties, no injuries and no major issues. Everyone is safe, and there is no need for panic," he said.

Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Dileep Chakravarthy, who visited the site, said the fire had been completely extinguished using the firefighting equipment installed at the refinery and resources deployed by the Andhra Pradesh Fire Department.He said a small blast was reported at the facility before the fire broke out. Chakravarthy added that an enquiry would be initiated to examine industrial safety at the facility in accordance with applicable norms."There is no cause for worry, and no injuries or casualties have been reported. People are requested not to panic about the incident," he said.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said the flames rising from the refinery were large enough to frighten people in the vicinity. One eyewitness said people moved away from the area after seeing the blaze.