Vadodara: The death toll in the fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Gujarat's Vadodara city has risen to two, with another person injured and undergoing treatment, police confirmed on Tuesday. The fire, which started with an explosion in a benzene storage tank, spread to two other adjoining tanks before it was brought under control.
Explosion triggers massive blaze
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The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when a blast in one of the refinery's benzene storage tanks sparked a massive fire. Jawahar Nagar Police Station Inspector A.B. Mori said the fire quickly spread to two nearby tanks, intensifying the blaze. Firefighters worked through the night to control the flames, with the fire being finally contained in the early hours of Tuesday.
Victims identified
Two people, Dhimant Makwana and Shailesh Makwana, lost their lives in the fire. An IOCL employee sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital. Police reported that the condition of the injured person is stable.
Efforts to control the fire
Firefighting teams from nearby cities and towns were called in to assist with the operations. The fire was eventually contained with the help of water sprinklers and other safety measures, including stopping fluid circulation within the refinery complex, as per the standard operating procedure.
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 cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained."
Visuals from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing from the refinery, visible from several kilometers away. Several workers were evacuated from the site, and those scheduled for subsequent shifts were turned away for safety reasons.
Emergency response and precautionary measures
In response to the fire, the police, district officials, and senior IOCL executives rushed to the site. Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar confirmed that all employees working during the shift had been safely moved out of the refinery. Additional cooling measures were taken to prevent the fire from spreading to other storage tanks.
Agency
Published: 12 Nov 2024, 10:18 am IST
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