Fire at HPCL Visakhapatnam Refinery Brought Under Control, No Casualties

A fire that broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Visakhapatnam on Monday night was brought under control, with no casualties or injuries reported. The blaze was confined to a pitch intermediate storage tank, while all other units at the facility remained safe, the company confirmed on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 10 pm on Monday when flames erupted near the pitch storage tank inside the refinery premises. The fire quickly intensified, sending thick black smoke into the sky and raising concerns among residents in parts of Visakhapatnam. The scale of the flames and the smoke generated considerable alarm in the surrounding areas.

Upon receiving information about the incident, the refinery's firefighting and safety teams immediately launched emergency response operations. Personnel worked to contain the flames and prevent them from spreading to other sections of the facility. Their efforts helped restrict the fire to the affected storage tank, and the situation was brought under control within a short period.

In a statement issued through its official X account, HPCL said the fire had been confined to the tank area and successfully extinguished. The company categorically ruled out any loss of life or injuries in the incident. It also assured that all other refinery units were safe and continued to function normally.

Following the incident, HPCL reiterated its commitment to maintaining high safety standards and emergency preparedness across its facilities. The company stated that its safety systems and emergency response teams were equipped to handle such situations. No disruption to the operations of other refinery units was reported.

The Visakhapatnam refinery has an installed crude oil processing capacity of 15 million metric tonnes annually. During the financial year 2025-26, it achieved a record processing volume of 16.04 million metric tonnes, marking a significant operational milestone.

Established in 1957, the facility holds the distinction of being the first oil refinery on India's eastern coast. It began operations with an annual refining capacity of 675,000 metric tonnes, which was gradually expanded through successive modernisation and capacity enhancement programmes.

The refinery was nationalised in 1976 and subsequently merged with HPCL in 1978. Over the decades, it has evolved into one of the country's major petroleum refining facilities, playing an important role in meeting India's energy requirements.