20 injured after massive fire at refinery pipeline in Bengal
What's the story
A massive fire broke out at a naphtha-carrying pipeline of the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal's East Midnapore district on Tuesday. The incident took place between 4:00am and 5:00am, resulting in injuries to at least 20 people, including six critically injured who are being shifted to Kolkata for treatment. Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the sky as workers tried to extinguish the flames. Rescue authorities deployed 12 fire trucks, and firefighting operations in the unit are still underway.
Company statement
Incident may have taken place near illegal naphtha pilfering point
Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) has confirmed the incident and said it may have taken place near an illegal naphtha pilfering point in the plant area. "Naphtha is a highly combustible and extremely flammable hydrocarbon, and the company has consistently cautioned local communities against any unauthorized access to or handling of petroleum products due to the serious safety risks involved," HPL said in a statement.
Ongoing investigation
Too early to comment on cause of incident
The company said it would be too early to comment on the cause of the incident as investigations are underway. "Safety remains our highest priority, and we will continue to cooperate fully with the investigating agencies. We will provide further updates as and when verified information becomes available," HPL added in its statement.
Refinery profile
Haldia Refinery plays crucial role in oil sector
The Haldia Refinery, the fourth of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), is located at the confluence of the rivers Haldi and Hooghly. Spread over about 612 acres, it was commissioned in 1975 with an installed capacity of 2.5 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA). Naphtha is a highly flammable liquid fuel made from crude oil at a refinery and is the primary component of fuel oil production, including gasoline and kerosene.