New Delhi: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) on Tuesday informed stock exchanges about a fire incident that occurred on April 20, 2026, at the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) section of HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) in Pachpadra, Rajasthan.
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According to the company, the incident was caused prima facie by leakage of hydrocarbons through a valve or flange in the heat exchanger circuit. The fire remained localized within the heat exchanger stack, and critical units including the CDU and Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU) were immediately isolated. HPCL said that all units are structurally safe and no other section of the refinery was impacted.
The company further stated that the fire was promptly brought under control by the refinery’s emergency response team. No casualties or injuries have been reported. An investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident and to implement necessary remedial measures. HPCL added that the financial and operational impact of the incident is being assessed and is not expected to be material.
As a precautionary step, the scheduled dedication of the refinery by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21 has been postponed. A revised date for the inauguration will be announced in due course.
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A major fire had erupted at the Pachpadra refinery complex on Monday, a day ahead of the planned inauguration, with visuals on social media showing thick plumes of smoke rising from the site. Following the incident, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed that the Prime Minister’s visit had been deferred.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma termed the incident “extremely unfortunate” and stated that the situation was brought under control swiftly. He also ordered a high-level probe into the incident.
The Petroleum Ministry had earlier confirmed that the fire was contained without any loss of life and that an investigation was underway to ascertain the causes and prevent future occurrences.
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