West Bengal: Three dead, 44 injured after fire breaks out at Indian Oil Corporation refinery
Seven of the injured persons are critical.
Three people died and 44 persons were injured after a fire broke out at an Indian Oil Corporation refinery in West Bengal’s Haldia city, PTI reported, citing the police.
In a statement, the petroleum refining company said that the fire has been extinguished and the situation is under control. The incident happened during shutdown-related works at the refinery, it said.
The company added that the cause of the accident seemed to be a flash fire.
3 dead & more than 40 injured in a blast at Naptha-Hydrogen mixing plant of @IndianOilcl Haldia Refinery #Bengal. 25 injured shifted to kolkata,15 reportedly critical.Refinery was shut since Dec 1st week for maintenance.Maintenance work was on & blast is feared due to flash fire pic.twitter.com/95WKWQsA5f
— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) December 21, 2021
#Breaking| Massive blast at Haldia’s Naptha-Hydrogen mixing plant at Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. Three dead and 42 injured. Fire is under control now. pic.twitter.com/WAaPZ93Nk1
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) December 21, 2021
A police officer told PTI that 37 of the 44 injured were being referred to a hospital in Kolkata. He added that the condition of seven of the injured persons was critical.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed anguish at the incident.
“Three precious lives were lost and my thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” she said in a tweet. “Those injured are being brought to Kolkata through a green corridor. GoWB [government of West Bengal] will extend all assistance to ensure their speedy recovery.”
Deeply anguished by the fire in IOC, Haldia.
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 21, 2021
Three precious lives were lost and my thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Those injured are being brought to Kolkata through a green corridor. GoWB will extend all assistance to ensure their speedy recovery.