The blaze at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited facility was controlled within an hour and caused no casualties.
A fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in the Gajuwaka industrial area of Visakhapatnam late on Monday night, according to reports from WION and The Indian Express.
The incident is believed to have started at a sulphur pitch tank within the Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) of the refinery. Malkapuram inspector of police Prakash Rao said the tank caught fire, resulting in flames and thick smoke.
Six fire tenders were used to manage the situation, though Rao noted that internal firefighting teams brought the blaze under control within an hour without needing additional city fire stations.
The fire caused panic among local residents, some of whom reported hearing sounds like an explosion. An HPCL employee stated that the flames spread quickly to nearby areas and produced heavy black smoke.
E Narasimha, the SHO of Malkapuram police station, confirmed there were no casualties or injuries. As a precaution, refinery authorities evacuated personnel to safer locations and suspended power to the affected area.
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined and will be established following an investigation.
