Paradip, Jan. 31: The central government today ordered a probe into the fire that broke out at Indian Oil's Paradip refinery complex yesterday. The investigation will be conducted by the oil industry safety directorate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Rs 34,555-crore project on February 7. "The fire broke out at 6pm yesterday. The refinery's atmospheric vacuum (AV) unit, which suffered damage, will resume functioning in a day or two. Engineers are on the job to restore the unit," Union petroleum and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who visited the project site and reviewed the fire control measures, told newspersons here today.

An independent third party inquiry has also been instituted to look into the circumstances that had led to the fire. A team of fire safety experts from oil industry safety directorate will arrive at the site ahead of the commissioning of the project on February 7 and conduct a probe. The team will also review the safety standards and give suggestions for enhancement of safety level and fire-related risk reduction in the oil refinery unit, Pradhan said.