Hyderabad: A major fire had been took place on Friday evening in state-owned HPCL refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Visakhapatnam. There is a report of killing two persons and injuring 37 people.
HPCL officials said that the fire took place at 4 pm and was brought under control after some time but the exact cause of the accident could not be ascertained.
Officials also said that 37 people were undergoing treatment at various hospitals, out of which the condition of three to four persons was stated to be critical.
Initial reports states that a blast took place in cooling tower due to short circuit which cause fire. A majority of the injured workers belonged to a private firm working for the cooling tower.
A thick layer of smoke engulfed the area causing panic among nearby residents. They said they heard a massive sound from the scene and plumes of smoke billowed out of the area.
Fire tenders from all over the city were pressed into service to control the fire. The injured persons were shifted to various hospitals, including the INS Kalyani.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families.
He directed the District Collector and the Police Commissioner to take up rescue operations and provide necessary medical assistance to the victims.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply