A major fire has broken out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) plant in Visakhapatnam. The fire department has reached the plant and efforts to douse the fire are currently underway. The fire has been brought under control.
DCP Aishwarya Rastogi has stated that the cause of the incident is yet to be determined. "As per information, a blast reported at Unit-3 plant in HPCL. Five fire tenders are present at the spot. More fire tenders are being rushed," Rastogi told ANI.
As per officials, an emergency alarm immediately went off following which all employees and workers quickly vacated the unit. HPCL sources said other workers have been moved to safety. Efforts to locate six HPCL workers who were at the spot when the fire started are taking place. No casualties or serious injuries have been reported yet
"A fire incident occurred in one of the crude processing units of HPCL's Visakh Refinery today. Safety measures & firefighting was activated immediately. The fire has been extinguished. There is no casualty & no risk to the public. Other Refinery operations are normal," HPCL told the news agency.
A team of experts from the Indian Navy has also reportedly reached the spot. They are taking stock of the situation and aiding the administration in their efforts.
The local administration is investigating the cause of the massive fire at the HPCL Visakhapatnam plant. Initial investigation has suggested that the fire was caused due to a blast in a pipeline in the crude distillation unit (CDU) of the HPCL plant. The CDU has been shut down following the accident, according to officials.