May 29, 2023
A major fire has broken out at the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) on Monday, which was followed by a loud explosion, according to reports.
As per the information received, the fire at the Numaligarh Refinery in the Golaghat district of Assam was accompanied by an explosion that shook the hydrocracker project.
The cause of the major fire has not been determined yet. Several fire tenders were rushed to the scene to bring the flames under control.
Moreover, the explosion was so massive that shockwaves were felt up to seven kilometers away from the Numaligarh Refinery.
Employees of the Numaligarh Refinery quickly evacuated the premises following the fire, according to sources from the site.
A person present at the scene of the fire at Numaligarh Refinery said, "We heard a sudden explosion followed by smoke, and the sky turned yellow. As local residents in the area, we rushed to the scene as soon as possible. When we arrived, we saw flames erupting from within. After gathering information, we learned that a fire had broken out at the Hydrocracker unit."
"As far as we know, there were several people inside when the incident took place. We hope that no fatalities are reported from the incident and that the fire is brought under control as quickly as possible," the person added.
Meanwhile, an ambulance was seen entering the refinery campus, indicating the possibility of injuries or fatalities, although there is no official confirmation at this point.
Sources from the site of the fire at the Numaligarh Refinery mentioned that the fire was caused by a technical anomaly at the junction connecting the nitrogen supply to the Hydrocracker unit.
Fresh reports from the scene are also claiming that the fire has been brought under control after an hour-long operation.
Following the fire incident, the fire and safety department personnel of the NRL and fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the scene. The NRL confirmed that the fire has been successfully contained, and there have been no reported casualties.
Kajal Saikia, General Manager (HR) of NRL, stated, "The fire broke out at the Hydrocracker unit of NRL. Our fire and safety department personnel quickly engaged in work to extinguish the flames. Now the fire is under control, and there is no report of any casualty in the incident."
Preliminary investigations into the cause of the fire have commenced. The Numaligarh Refinery, a subsidiary of Oil India Ltd., had recently resumed operations after a maintenance shutdown and was gradually restarting production unit by unit.
Despite the initial setback caused by the fire and explosion, efforts are underway to assess the damage and ensure the safe operation of the refinery.
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