Fire rips through storage tank area at HPCL Visakh refinery, no casualties

A major fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Visakh refinery in Visakhapatnam on Monday night, Nov 2, sending flames into the night sky. Police said there were no casualties.

The blaze at the HPCL refinery in Vizag drew an immediate emergency response. Six fire tenders were pressed into service, and firefighting teams controlled the fire within an hour. Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the site as thick smoke billowed over nearby neighbourhoods.

What happened at the HPCL Visakh refinery

Reports varied on the exact point of origin, but several accounts placed the fire in a storage tank area of the refinery. The Hindu said the fire originated in the pitch tower of the newly integrated residue upgradation unit. The Indian Express reported that the fire was believed to have broken out in the sulphur storage tank, while Asianet Newsable described the incident as a fire at the pitch tank and said it was quickly controlled.

Residents and police in Vishakhapatnam said they heard explosion sounds late in the evening, and video circulating from the area showed towering flames lighting up the sky. Officials did not confirm an explosion. Police said the cause is still under investigation.

Response and current status

State-owned HPCL said operations at the refinery were not struck by casualties, and authorities confirmed that all units at the facility were safe. Police also confirmed no deaths were reported. An enquiry into the incident is underway.

The refinery fire at HPCL’s Visakhapatnam plant comes at a sensitive time for the state-owned company because the affected area is tied to residue upgradation units rather than a widely used retail asset. The pitch tower and sulphur-related storage areas serve processing units, and a fire there can lift smoke over surrounding settlements even when process stays contained.

Officials have not yet stated whether the blaze started inside the tank, at a linked piping section, or from another point in the storage area. No injuries were reported, and emergency teams remained on the scene after the flames were doused. HPCL continues the enquiry, and police say the official investigation into the cause will decide the next steps.