Massive fire and explosion at HPCL oil refinery in Visakhapatnam

A major fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) oil refinery in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, late on Monday night. According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, an explosion occurred at the refinery's Crude Processing Unit-3, which led to high flames and plumes of black smoke being seen in the sky. According to the Hindustan Times, the incident took place in the Gajuwaka industrial area. Given the sound of the explosion and the intensity of the fire, an atmosphere of fear spread in the surrounding residential areas.

Upon receiving information about the incident, the refinery's internal fire fighting team and fire tenders from various parts of the city immediately reached the spot. DCP Aishwarya Rastogi stated that as soon as the information was received, 5 fire tenders were initially sent, and subsequently, more help was requested. As a precautionary measure, refinery officials cut off the power supply to the affected area and moved employees to a safe location. Police security was also deployed to ensure that no unauthorized person enters the premises.

According to a report by The Times of India, the fire broke out near an oil tank where rough pitch oil was stored. However, HPCL sources have clarified that there are no reports of any loss of life or injuries in this incident. Officials have reacted cautiously to rumors of explosions, and the exact cause of the fire is currently unclear. According to the Dainik Bhaskar report, no official information regarding the damage has been released so far.

This refinery was started in 1957 and is one of the oldest and largest refineries on the east coast of India, which works to produce petrol, diesel, and gas from crude oil. Earlier in 2013, an explosion had also occurred in the cooling tower of this refinery, in which 2 people died and 37 were injured. In recent times, such incidents have also occurred in other refineries of the country, in which 1 person died and 8 were injured at MRPL in Mangaluru on 30 September 2026, a fire broke out at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery on 20 April 2026, and a valve explosion incident occurred at BPCL in Kochi on 23 August 2025. Currently, fire fighters in Visakhapatnam are making continuous efforts to bring the fire completely under control.