A major fire that erupted in a naphtha-carrying pipeline at Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) in Bengal's Purba Medinipur district early Tuesday left more than 20 people injured, damaged railway infrastructure and disrupted train services, officials said. The cause of the blaze is yet to be ascertained, and an investigation is underway.
The fire was first reported around 2.45 am at the HPL's naphtha pipeline and rapidly spread to Chiranjibpur in Ward 13 of Haldia Municipality, engulfing several nearby houses.
Twelve fire tenders were pressed into service, and firefighting operations continued through the day as emergency teams worked to bring the blaze under control.
"Over 20 people, mostly locals, were injured in the fire. Out of them, five are critical. Some are undergoing treatment here while some were referred to hospitals in Kolkata," a police officer said.
Among the injured were two security personnel of the company, he said.
In a statement, HPL said preliminary information has indicated that the incident might have occurred in the vicinity of an unauthorised naphtha theft point near its plant.
"Preliminary information suggests that the incident may have occurred in the vicinity of an unauthorised naphtha theft point located in the plant vicinity," Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd said in a statement.
The company said operations are not affected so far by the fire, which happened at a place where naphtha - a volatile, highly flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture produced during refining - has been stolen from in the past.
"We are aware of an incident that occurred at our Haldia facility, in which a few people have reportedly sustained injuries," the statement said.
HPL said the exact cause of the incident is under investigation and said it had cautioned local communities against unauthorised access to petroleum products.
"It would be premature to comment further or attribute responsibility until the investigation is complete," the company said, maintaining that it would continue to cooperate fully with the investigating agencies.
"Our thoughts are with those affected," it added.
The injured were initially taken to the Haldia Sub-Divisional Hospital. Five of them were later shifted to Tamluk Medical College and Hospital, he said.
"Around 10 people are being shifted to state-run SSKM Hospital and NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, besides two other private hospitals in the city," he said.
Police said the fire has been brought under control.
"The firefighters are using foam and fly ash, and hopefully it will be doused soon," the officer said, noting that a few houses were completely gutted in the blaze.
"We suspect that leakage from the naphtha pipeline led to the fire, but a formal investigation will reveal the exact cause," he said.
Several workers present near the pipeline sustained burn injuries in the incident.
"The area has been secured, and firefighting operations are continuing. The exact cause of the incident will be known only after a detailed investigation," a police officer said.
The blaze also damaged overhead railway equipment near the site, leading to disruption of rail services on the Haldia-Mecheda route. As a precautionary measure, the morning Haldia-Howrah local train was delayed, affecting commuters travelling towards Panskura and Howrah.
According to local residents, the flames spread dangerously close to the railway tracks, prompting railway authorities to suspend train movement until the situation was brought under control.
Haldia Petrochem said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident. The company said ensuring the safety of workers remains its top priority and that all injured persons are receiving appropriate medical treatment.
Naphtha is a highly combustible and extremely flammable hydrocarbon, and HPL has repeatedly cautioned local communities against unauthorised access to or handling of petroleum products because of the associated safety risks, it said.
The company operates a 700,000 ton-per-year ethylene cracker in the eastern state of Bengal. The company is majority owned by U.S.-based private equity firm The Chatterjee Group (TCG).