VISAKHAPATNAM — A fire broke out at the sulphur pitch tank of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited's Visakhapatnam Refinery on Monday evening, triggering panic among employees and residents in the surrounding industrial areas.
The incident was reported at approximately 10:15 pm at the refinery in the Malkapuram area. Thick black smoke billowed from the sulphur pitch tank, which stores Ruf Pitch Oil, an intermediate product used in bitumen manufacture. Flames were seen shooting high into the sky, and the fire quickly spread to nearby areas within the refinery premises.
Employees reported hearing a blast before the fire ignited, causing immediate panic on site. HPCL's internal firefighting teams responded rapidly, deploying five fire tenders to the scene. Through their efforts, the fire was brought under control within approximately one hour. Although the main blaze has been contained, smoke continued to billow from two remaining locations, requiring the continued use of foam to extinguish the flames.
As a precautionary measure, refinery officials suspended power supply to the affected area and evacuated personnel to safer locations. No casualties or injuries were reported despite the intensity of the fire and the thick smoke that engulfed the surrounding locality.
Preliminary investigations suggest that an overhead electrical line may have triggered the fire, though the exact cause has not yet been established. HPCL sources have indicated that the possibility of a tank explosion was considered low. Rumours of an explosion spread across the industrial area, but officials were examining the circumstances that led to the incident. The event highlights the fire risks associated with industrial processing facilities and the effectiveness of internal emergency response protocols.
