Fire broke out after blast in Gujarat’s IOCL refinery.
Vadodara: A fire broke out after a blast in the storage tank of the refinery of ‘Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL)’ in Vadodara, Gujarat on Monday. Giving information about this, a police officer said that a 32 year old laborer died in the incident. IOCL said that at around 03:30 pm, fire was reported in the benzene storage tank, after which the fire department started efforts to control it. In a statement issued on Monday night, it was said that the cause of the fire has not been known yet.
‘Situation under control at IOCL campus’
Giving information about the incident, Inspector AB Mori of Jawaharnagar police station said, ‘A person named Dhimant Makwana, who was working on contract, died in the fire incident in the refinery.’ Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Kumar said that the situation at the IOCL campus is under control. Kumar said that the fire broke out due to a blast in the refinery located in Koyali area of Vadodara. In the video that has surfaced, dense smoke is seen rising from the refinery which can be seen from several kilometers away. Many employees from the refinery can be seen leaving the IOCL campus.
‘Fluid circulation stopped’
IOCL said in a statement, ‘Fire was reported at around 03:30 pm in the benzene storage tank (1000 kiloliter capacity) at Gujarat Refinery. The emergency response team of the refinery is actively dealing with the situation and fire extinguishing operations are currently underway. IOCL said nearby water sprinkler systems have been activated to control the fire. Police Commissioner Narasimha Kumar said that as per standard operating procedure, fluid circulation has been stopped in the IOCL campus. He said that other storage tanks are being cooled to prevent the fire from spreading.
‘Employees were sent back due to security reasons’
The Police Commissioner said that all the employees working in shifts were thrown out of the refinery. He said, ‘People who reached the refinery for the next shift were sent back due to security reasons. It will take time for the benzene present in the storage tank to burn. Local MLA Dharmendrasinh Vaghela said some people sustained minor injuries and were sent to hospital. (With inputs from agencies)
