The Pachpadra refinery project in Rajasthan has suffered a fire in its main Crude Distillation Unit, forcing the postponement of its inauguration. The incident marks the latest setback for the long-delayed, Rs 79,459 crore joint venture between HPCL and the state government.
A massive fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan's Balotra district around 1:55 pm on Monday, a day before PM Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the facility. The fire originated from the crude distillation unit due to hydrocarbon leakage from a valve or flange in the heat exchanger circuit. Emergency response teams deployed over 100 fire tenders to bring the blaze under control by 2:30 pm. No casualties or injuries were reported. The refinery is a joint venture between HPCL (74% equity) and the Rajasthan government (26%). The inauguration has been postponed and a probe has been ordered.
A massive fire broke out at the HPCL Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra, Rajasthan on Monday afternoon, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the refinery on Tuesday. The blaze, reportedly caused by an exchanger explosion at the CDU-VDU side, was brought under control within about two hours. No casualties were reported. Authorities evacuated the area as a precaution. PM Modi's visit and the inauguration ceremony were subsequently cancelled citing security concerns.
A fire broke out at the Pachpadra Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex in Balotra, Rajasthan, prompting emergency response. The incident occurred just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Rajasthan where he was set to dedicate India's first greenfield integrated refinery-petrochemical complex. The project represents a Rs 79,450 crore investment in India's energy and petrochemical sector.
