Massive fire breaks out at West Bengal's Haldia Refinery, several workers injured | Watch
A massive fire out at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal early Tuesday morning when a naphtha-carrying pipeline went up in flames, leaving at least
A massive fire out at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal early Tuesday morning when a naphtha-carrying pipeline went up in flames, leaving at least 10 people injured. The fire was first spotted around 2.45 am, PTI reported officials as saying, adding that it quickly spread to Chiranjibpur in ward 13 of Haldia Municipality, engulfing several houses. The flames from the pipleline were so intense that a number of workers who were present in the vicinity suffered burn injuries, the publication reported. Twelve fire trucks were deployed, and firefighting operations are still underway, officials said.
Also Read | Fire breaks out in a flat in Noida's Aranya Society in Sector 119 The cause of the fire has not yet been established, Reuters reported quoting local media. Locals from the area as well as factory authorities rushed to the spot to aid those injured in the fire, who were later sent to the Haldia Sub-Divisional Hospital. Some of the injured are in critical condition, as per Times of India. Five of them were later shifted to Tamluk Medical College and Hospital, where two were reported to be in critical condition, a police officer told PTI.
"The area has been secured, and firefighting operations are continuing. The exact cause of the incident will be known only after a detailed investigation," he said. The blaze also damaged overhead railway equipment near the site, disrupting train services, officials said. Haldia Petrochem has stated that an investigation is underway to find out the cause of the fire. The factory management, as per TOI, has said that their topmost priority is ensuring the safety of their workers. "Preliminary information suggests that the incident may have occurred in the vicinity of an unauthorised naphtha theft point located in the plant vicinity," Haldia Petrochemicals said in a statement.
The statement, however, did not specify if the fire has affected operations at the refinery. Train movement affected Early morning passengers who were travelling from Haldia to destinations like Howrah or Panskura were affected by the disruption caused by the fire, since the flames were quite close to the railway line. This caused the morning trains that leave from Haldia to be delayed due to safety reasons, thus inconveniencing daily commuters.
The BriefWire