NEW DELHI: The death toll in the fire at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Vadodara, Gujarat, has risen to two, with another individual injured and currently receiving medical treatment, according to police on Tuesday.
The fire, which started on Monday afternoon following an explosion in a benzene storage tank, subsequently spread to two nearby tanks, as reported by Inspector A.B. Mori of Jawahar Nagar Police Station.
Efforts to contain the blaze continued until the early hours of Tuesday, with multiple fire tenders brought in from nearby cities to assist, officials said.
Two workers, identified as Dhimant Makwana and Shailesh Makwana, lost their lives in the incident, while an IOCL official sustained injuries and is being treated at a private hospital, where his condition is reported to be stable.
The explosion occurred at IOCL’s Gujarat Refinery in the Koyali area on the outskirts of Vadodara. In a statement released Monday evening, IOCL confirmed that the fire was reported around 3.30pm in a 1,000 KL benzene storage tank.
The refinery’s adjacent water sprinkler system was activated immediately to contain the fire, although the cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) D.J. Chavda informed reporters late Monday night that the blaze had spread to neighboring storage tanks.
Visuals captured thick smoke billowing from the refinery, visible from several kilometers away, while several workers were safely evacuated from the IOCL premises.
In line with standard operating procedures, fluid circulation in the IOCL complex was halted, and measures were taken to cool nearby storage tanks to prevent further spread of the fire, stated Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar. Employees scheduled for the next shift were also turned away as a precautionary measure.
Following the incident, police, district administration officials, and senior IOCL executives arrived at the scene to oversee response efforts and assess the situation.
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