Paradip: Panic gripped residents after a massive fire broke out Monday afternoon at the entry point of the IOCL refinery at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.
The blaze started in a stack of plastic-coated pipes belonging to a private consultancy firm Techno Mount, which works within the refinery premises. These pipes were intended for underground installation.
The fire erupted near the Dochhaki area, close to the Goa Carbon Company, where hundreds of pipes were stored together. Flames quickly engulfed the area, and dark billowing smoke was visible from up to a distance of two kilometres.
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The fire created a thick blanket of smoke that spread across the area. Upon receiving alerts, fire tenders from the refinery, Kujang, and various private companies rushed to the scene and worked to contain the blaze. According to the latest reports, the fire was brought under control by 7pm.
Following the incident, the refinery’s executive director, along with departmental heads, visited the site for an inspection.
RK Sahu, an officer from Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s (IOCL) pipeline division, stated that the affected area was the refinery’s dumping yard, where over a thousand iron and rubber-coated pipes had been stored. He added that while the cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the pipes were old and had been placed there after being replaced from undersea and underground pipelines.
PNN