Asia/Pacific News
Fire Partially Shuts Down Refinery
Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) has partially shut down its refinery in the southern Indian city of Visakhapatnam Friday after a deadly fire at a cooling plant, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"As many as 40 people were injured in the fire, out of which 35 were taken to hospital with burn injuries," said Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner B. Shivadhar Reddy.
One person died from the injuries, and the death toll could rise, Reddy said.
HPCL Refineries Director B.K. Namdeo said the fire is under control but one unit of the refinery has been shut down as a precaution.
The refinery has a crude oil processing plant of about 166,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The fire occurred in a newly built wooden cooling tower that was part of a diesel hydro desulfurization unit being built at the refinery, Indian newspaper the Financial Express reports.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but initial reports suggested it occurred because of a short circuit.
