Massive fire breaks out at HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam, no casualties reported
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Massive fire breaks out at HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam, no casualties reported")
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A fire broke out at HPCL's Visakhapatnam refinery, triggering panic among residents. The blaze was controlled within an hour, with no casualties
A fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in the Gajuwaka industrial area of Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam late on Monday night, police said. According to preliminary information, the fire is suspected to have originated at the sulphur pitch tank of the refinery's Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF). The tank caught fire, triggering flames and thick smoke.
“The fire is believed to have erupted at the sulphur pitch tank of the refinery's Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) within the HPCL refinery premises. The tank caught fire, resulting in eruption of flames and thick smoke,” Malkapuram inspector of police Prakash Rao told reporters. Local residents reported hearing sounds resembling an explosion in the area, although police have not confirmed any explosion. An HPCL employee said the flames spread rapidly to nearby areas, while thick black smoke covered the sky and surrounding localities.
“Flames quickly spread to nearby areas, sending thick clouds of black smoke into the sky and engulfing the surrounding locality,” an employee of HPCL said. The massive flames and heavy smoke triggered panic among residents living near the refinery, prompting several people to rush out of their homes.
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Following information about the incident, the refinery's internal firefighting teams immediately reached the spot and began firefighting operations. “Though the fire stations in other parts of the city were alerted, there was no need for them, as the internal fire tenders themselves brought the fire under control,” Prakash Rao said.
As a precautionary measure, refinery authorities suspended the power supply to the affected area and evacuated personnel to safer locations. “ There is no need for any panic for the HPCL employees or residents in the surrounding areas, as flames were brought under control within an hour. There are absolutely no casualties nor are they any injuries,” the inspector said.
The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined and will be established following an investigation. “The exact cause of the fire accident will be known only tomorrow, the HPCL employee said.
