HPCL Oil Refinery In Vizag Catches Fire, No Casualties Reported

Huge plumes of thick smoke were seen after a fire broke out at a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on May 25. Fire engines were rushed to the spot to douse the fire. A warning bell was immediately sounded to make the employees evacuate the plant. At least 100 employees were at the plant at the time of the incident. HPCL company, in a tweet, said the fire has been extinguished, there were no casualties & everyone is safe. The cause of the incident is not yet known, officials said. The blast was reported at Unit-3 plant in HPCL, reported NDTV. Visakhapatnam District Collector V Vinay Chand said the fire was doused quickly, averting major damage. HPCL runs a 8.3 million tonnes a year oil refinery at Visakhapatnam, according to news agency PTI. The unit turns crude oil into value added fuels like petrol and diesel. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) shares are trading flat a day after a fire broke out at the company's plant located at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. At 9:35 am, HPCL shares were trading virtually unchanged at Rs 288.40 on the BSE.