At least 20 people were wounded after a naphtha-carrying pipeline caught fire at a refinery in Indian state of West Bengal on Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal, where thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky, local broadcaster NDTV reported.
The fire in the pipeline carrying naphtha – a highly flammable liquid fuel – erupted between 4.00 am (2230GMT Monday) and 5.00 am local time, the broadcaster reported.
“The fire was so intense that several workers present in the area suffered burn injuries,” the broadcaster reported.
Factory authorities have yet to ascertain the cause of the fire.
Local residents and factory authorities rushed to the spot soon after learning of the incident. The injured were rescued and taken to the Haldia Sub-divisional Hospital. The condition of some of the injured is reported to be critical.
“Preliminary information suggests that the incident may have occurred in the vicinity of an unauthorised naphtha theft point located in the plant vicinity,” Haldia Petrochemicals said in a statement.
The statement did not specify if the fire has affected operations at the refinery.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred at our Haldia facility, in which a few people have reportedly sustained injuries,” the statement said.
The administration said the exact cause of the incident is under investigation and said it had cautioned local communities against unauthorised access to petroleum products.
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