Blast sets off huge fire at HPCL's Visakhapatnam refinery; blaze put out, no one hurt

An explosion at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’s refinery in Visakhapatnam set off a massive fire late on Monday night, sending flames and thick black smoke over the industrial area. The fire has since been put out and no one was hurt.

Authorities said the fire started at the refinery’s Residue Upgradation Facility, a unit that turns heavy leftover oil into lighter fuels. Several fire tenders were rushed in, and HPCL’s own fire crews worked alongside the state fire department.

“A fire broke out in Vizag HPCL facility and there were no casualties,” Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi said.

Commuters on nearby roads filmed the flames on their phones, and the videos spread quickly on social media. People living close by moved away in fear.

Fire out, inquiry ordered

Revenue Divisional Officer Dileep Chakravarthy, who visited the site, described a small blast followed by fire. He said it was put out using the plant’s own firefighting equipment and engines from the Andhra Pradesh Fire Department. “There is no cause for worry, and no injuries or casualties have been reported,” he said. “People are requested not to panic about the incident.”

He said an inquiry under industrial safety norms would find the cause. Officials said the smoke was unlikely to be hazardous. HPCL had not issued a statement by early Tuesday.

The refinery has had serious accidents before. In 2013, a blast at its cooling tower killed two people and injured 37. In September this year, an explosion at MRPL’s refinery in Mangaluru killed one person and injured eight.