KOLKATA: More than 20 people were injured, five of them critically, after a massive fire broke out at a naphtha-carrying pipeline of Haldia Petrochemicals in West Bengal’s East Midnapore district in the early hours of Tuesday.
More than 12 fire fighting engines were pressed into service to douse the fire spotted around 3 am on Tuesday.
The blaze was reported around 2.45 am and quickly spread to Chiranjibpur in Ward 13 of Haldia Municipality, engulfing several houses in the area.
Two HPL security personnel were among those injured, the police said.
"Over 20 people, mostly locals, were injured in the fire. Out of them, five are critical. Some are undergoing treatment here while some were referred to hospitals in Kolkata," a police officer said.
"Around 10 people are being shifted to state-run SSKM Hospital and NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, besides two other private hospitals in the city," the officer said.
“The area has been secured, and firefighting operations are continuing. The exact cause of the incident will be known only after a detailed investigation,” they said.
The blaze also damaged overhead railway equipment near the site, disrupting train services, sources said.
Locals said that a massive burst took place in the pipeline carrying naphtha in the Haldia Petrochemicals are causing fire, which rapidly engulfed several houses.
Local MLA of Haldia Pradip Bijli visited the soon after the incident. “A leakage in the naphtha pipeline triggered the fire with a massive burst. But the cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained,” he said.
The petrochemicals authorities said that an inquiry has been initiated to find out the exact reason behind the fire. The first priority is to ensure the safety of the employees and other people concerned.
Officials suspect a leak in the naphtha pipeline may have triggered the fire.
"We suspect that leakage from the naphtha pipeline led to the fire, but a formal investigation will reveal the exact cause," the officer said.
The nearby train services between Haldia and Panskura has been disrupted because of the overhead electrical line and transformer close to the spot were also badly damaged during the burst.
Considering the situations normal train services from Haldia to Howrah Station were also delayed, according to the sources.
In a statement, HPL said preliminary findings suggested the incident may have originated near an unauthorised naphtha theft point in the vicinity of its plant.
The company said naphtha is a highly combustible and extremely flammable hydrocarbon and reiterated that it has repeatedly warned local communities against unauthorised access to or handling of petroleum products due to the associated safety risks.
"It would be premature to comment further or attribute responsibility until the investigation is complete," the company said, maintaining that it would continue to cooperate fully with the investigating agencies.
"Our thoughts are with those affected," it added.
(With inputs from PTI)