2-dead-in-fire-at-vadodara-refinery

Two people have died in a fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Vadodara, Gujarat, while another injured person is receiving medical attention, police said on Tuesday.

 

According to inspector AB Mori of the Jawahar Nagar police station, the refinery's benzene storage tank exploded on Monday afternoon, sparking a fire that later spread to two other nearby tanks.

 

He said after operations that carried on into the early hours of Tuesday, the fire was contained.

 

The deceased were identified as Dhimant Makwana and Shailesh Makwana. According to Mori, an IOCL official was being treated at a private hospital after suffering injuries. He stated that the injured person's condition was stable.

 

The blaze was brought under control after extensive efforts involving several fire tenders brought in from nearby cities and towns, officials said.

 

The blast occurred at the IOCL refinery located in Koyali area on the outskirts of Vadodara which triggered the blaze, an official earlier said.

 

The IOCL in a statement on Monday evening said the "fire was reported at around 3.30 pm in a benzene storage tank (1000 KL capacity) at Gujarat Refinery".

 

The adjacent water sprinkler system was activated to contain the fire, it said.

 

"The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained," it added.

 

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) D J Chavda told reporters late Monday night that the fire had spread to the adjoining storage tanks.

 

Visuals showed thick plumes emerging from the refinery which could be seen from kilometres away. Several workers were evacuated and could be seen exiting the IOCL campus.

 

Following the fire, fluid circulation in the IOCL complex was stopped as per the standard operating procedure. Other storage tanks were being cooled to ensure the blaze didn't spread, Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar said.

 

All the employees who were working in the shift were moved out of the refinery and the people reaching the refinery for subsequent shifts were turned back for safety reasons, he said.

 

The police, district administration officials and senior executives of IOCL reached the site after the incident.