Blast at Indian Oil's Mathura refinery injures 8; fire now under control

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud blast as huge flames rose from the refinery's Mathura plant, with the fire visible from several kilometres away

At least eight people were injured in a major explosion at Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) 8 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) refinery in Mathura late Tuesday, the refinery stated on Wednesday.

 

Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud blast as massive flames erupted from the Mathura plant, with the fire visible from several kilometres away.

 

The incident occurred in the crude distillation unit, which had been under maintenance for a month. The fire was extinguished, and refinery operations continued without disruption, IOC said in a statement. 

Notably, this is the second such incident reported by the IOC in a week. Earlier, a tank fire at its 13.7 MTPA Gujarat refinery on Monday claimed two lives and injured two others.

 

 

The injured were initially treated at the refinery’s hospital. However, four critically injured individuals were later transferred to a private hospital in the city for advanced care. IOC confirmed that plant and machinery sustained no damage, and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

 

Renu Pathak, senior corporate manager at Mathura Refinery, said in a press release, “The refinery’s management has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion,” according to PTI. She also confirmed that the fire has been completely extinguished, and the situation is stable.

 

Inspector Sonu Kumar from the refinery police station reported that the explosion occurred between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm, injuring several workers near the plant’s main area. “The refinery initially attempted to contain the fire internally, and once it was under control, local authorities were notified,” he said.

 

(With inputs from agencies)