Massive fire breaks out in naphtha pipeline at Bengal refinery, 10 injured

A massive fire erupted at West Bengal's Haldia Refinery after a naphtha pipeline caught fire early Tuesday morning. Visuals from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky as firefighters battled the blaze.

In Short

• Fire broke out in naphtha pipeline at Haldia Refinery early Tuesday
• At least 10 workers injured, some in critical condition
• 12 fire tenders deployed, firefighting ongoing

At leaast 10 workers were injured after a major fire broke out in a naphtha pipeline at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district on Tuesday, officials said.

The blaze erupted between 4 am and 4.30 am and 12 fire tenders were pressed into service. Firefighting operations are still underway.

Visuals from the spot showed thick black smoke rising into the sky as firefighters and emergency teams battled to bring the flames under control.

Local residents and refinery officials rushed to the spot and rescued the injured, who were shifted to Haldia Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Refinery authorities have not officially commented on the incident and further details on the extent of the damage are awaited.

Naphtha, a highly flammable petroleum product derived from crude oil, is widely used in the production of fuels such as petrol and kerosene.

Haldia Refinery is the fourth refinery owned by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and is situated in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district where the Haldi and Hooghly rivers meet. The refinery was commissioned in 1975 and is located about 136 km from Kolkata.

According to the company, the Haldia Refinery has an installed capacity of 2.5 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) and is spread over an area of about 612 acres.

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