Fire Breaks Out at HPCL Refinery in Visakhapatnam After Small Blast

A fire sparked by a blast occurred at the HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. Authorities confirmed the blaze was extinguished, with no injuries reported, and have initiated a safety enquiry into the incident at the facility.

Incident Overview at HPCL Refinery

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 3 (ANI): A fire broke out following a reported blast at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, triggering panic in the area. The blaze was subsequently brought under control and extinguished, an official said.

Official Response and Safety Enquiry

Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Dileep Chakravarthy, who visited the site, said the fire was fully extinguished using the firefighting equipment installed at the plant and equipment deployed by the Andhra Pradesh Fire Department. "There is no cause for worry, and no injuries or casualties have been reported. People are requested not to panic about the incident," Chakravarthy said.

Investigation Details

Describing the incident, the RDO said a small blast was reported at the refinery, following which a fire broke out. Chakravarthy said an enquiry would be initiated into industrial safety at the facility in accordance with the applicable safety norms. "There will be an enquiry about the industry safety in that, as per industry safety norms. But for the public, it is to be noted that there is no cause of worry. It is fully under control," he added.

Public Reaction

Meanwhile, an eyewitness described seeing flames rising from the facility and said people were frightened by the incident. Another eyewitness said the flames appeared large and that people moved away out of fear. (ANI)

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