Massive Fire Erupts at Haldia Petrochemicals Plant

 in West Bengal, Over 20 Injured

News Report By Y-Trendz

A major fire broke out early Tuesday morning at the Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) refinery in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, injuring more than 20 people and sending thick plumes of smoke billowing over the industrial township, even as firefighters battled for hours to bring the blaze under control.

How the Fire Started

The fire was first spotted around 2:45 am at a naphtha-carrying pipeline of the Haldia refinery, before it quickly spread to Chiranjibpur in ward 13 of Haldia Municipality, engulfing several nearby houses. It is suspected that a naphtha gas pipeline leak directly triggered the blaze. In an official statement, Haldia Petrochemicals Limited said preliminary information suggests the incident may have occurred near an unauthorised naphtha theft point located close to the refinery premises, raising questions about possible pilferage as a contributing factor in the disaster. The exact cause of the fire was not immediately confirmed by officials.

Naphtha, a highly flammable petroleum derivative used as a feedstock in petrochemical processing, ignites easily from even a small spark, making leaks from pipelines carrying the substance especially hazardous, particularly in residential-adjacent industrial zones like Haldia.

Scale of the Damage and Casualties

The human toll from the fire has been significant. Initial reports put the number of injured at 10 people, with one worker in critical condition transferred to Kolkata for specialised treatment. However, as the situation developed and more details emerged, the injury count rose sharply. At least 20 people were injured, including six critically, with the critically injured being shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for advanced treatment.

The injured were rescued and initially taken to Haldia Sub-Divisional Hospital, with five of them later shifted to Tamluk Medical College and Hospital, where two were reported to be in critical condition. Earlier accounts also mentioned Tamluk State Hospital as one of the facilities receiving victims for urgent medical attention. Local authorities and hospital staff have been working to stabilize the injured even as the fire continued to rage in the early hours of the response.

Firefighting Operations

The scale of the blaze prompted an extensive emergency response. A fleet of 12 fire tenders rushed to the site to douse the flames, and after an hour and a half of intense operations, the fire department was still struggling to bring the raging blaze under control. Firefighting operations remained underway for several hours after the fire began, with twelve fire trucks deployed throughout the response.

Dramatic visuals from the scene showed dark smoke and towering flames lighting up the night sky over the refinery complex, with the fire's spread to nearby residential structures in Chiranjibpur adding urgency to evacuation and containment efforts. Emergency response teams eventually managed to bring the fire under control after several hours of sustained firefighting, though authorities have not yet provided a precise timeline for when the blaze was fully extinguished.

A Troubled History of Industrial Fires

Tuesday's incident is far from the first time the Haldia Petrochemicals complex has been hit by fire. The facility, one of the largest petrochemical companies in India with a total capacity equivalent to 1,000,000 TPA of ethylene, established in the 1990s, has a troubling track record of similar accidents. In September 2019, a major fire broke out at the naphtha cracker unit of the plant, injuring 15 people, and the plant's operations were halted for nearly 10 days after a September 20 fire that claimed the lives of two employees.

A separate incident also occurred more recently: a fire broke out at one of the naphtha pipelines at the plant in August 2021, during a period when the complex was carrying out maintenance work, taking several hours to bring under control. A senior official at the time had noted that residual chemicals left in pipelines during repair work could pose a serious fire risk if not properly cleared beforehand.

What Comes Next

Authorities in East Midnapore district have launched a formal investigation to determine the precise cause of Tuesday's fire, including examining the suspected naphtha theft angle floated by HPL in its official statement. With the plant's history of recurring naphtha-related fire incidents, the latest blaze is likely to renew scrutiny over safety protocols, pipeline maintenance, and security measures at the refinery, especially given its proximity to residential areas that have now twice been directly affected by the flames. Medical authorities continue to monitor the condition of the critically injured workers transferred to Kolkata, while local officials assess the extent of damage to nearby homes in Chiranjibpur.