Massive fire erupts at HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam after suspected explosion

A massive fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam late on Monday night following reports of an explosion, triggering panic among residents as towering flames and thick clouds of smoke rose from the industrial facility.

The blaze reportedly originated in a sulphur pitch tank within the refinery premises. Firefighters from HPCL and other emergency response teams rushed to the site and began efforts to contain the flames.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankhabrata Bagchi confirmed the incident and said the fire was confined to the affected tank, with no immediate threat to other sections of the refinery.

Authorities said no fatalities had been reported, while the cause of the fire and the extent of damage were yet to be established.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰

The incident was reported after residents and refinery personnel heard sounds resembling an explosion. Flames were subsequently seen rising high above the facility, accompanied by dense smoke that spread across the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Visuals from the area showed a large blaze illuminating the night sky, while smoke billowed over nearby residential and industrial localities.

An HPCL employee said sounds of an explosion were heard before flames became visible. The intensity of the fire prompted residents in neighbouring areas to come out of their homes.

The refinery is located in the Gajuwaka industrial area of Visakhapatnam, which houses several major industrial establishments.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗸

Police Commissioner Bagchi said the blaze remained restricted to the sulphur pitch tank and did not pose an immediate danger to other refinery installations.

The clarification came amid concerns that the fire could spread to other sections of the petroleum-processing facility.

Authorities also said the smoke generated by the incident was not considered hazardous, although emergency teams continued to monitor conditions around the affected area.

There were no confirmed reports of deaths as of late Monday night. Officials had not yet provided a comprehensive assessment of possible injuries or property damage.

𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱

HPCL's internal firefighting units were among the first to respond, with additional fire tenders arriving from different parts of the city to support containment operations.

As a precaution, refinery officials reportedly suspended power supply to the affected section and moved personnel to safer locations.

Police personnel were deployed around the facility to restrict access and prevent people from approaching the affected premises while emergency operations were underway.

Firefighters continued working to bring the blaze under control, with officials closely monitoring the situation to prevent it from spreading beyond the tank.

𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱

The exact sequence of events leading to the incident remained unclear. Although explosion sounds were reported, authorities had not confirmed what triggered the blaze.

The extent of damage to the affected tank and any possible impact on refinery operations were also not immediately known.

Officials were expected to assess the damage and determine the cause once the situation was brought under control.

The incident has renewed attention on industrial safety and emergency preparedness at major petroleum facilities, particularly those located close to densely populated urban areas.

Firefighting operations were continuing at the time of the latest reports, with authorities maintaining that the flames were confined to the affected tank and that no deaths had been reported.