Death toll in IOCL refinery fire rises to 2; blaze extinguished after nearly 12 hours

Vadodara: A canteen worker who fell unconscious during a fire at the Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOCL) refinery near Vadodara city died on Tuesday, taking the toll to two, while the blaze triggered by a blast was extinguished after nearly 12 hours of efforts, police and company officials said. Another injured person was undergoing treatment, police said. The fire, that began at around 3:30 pm on Monday with a blast in a benzene storage tank of the refinery located in the Koyali area on Vadodara's outskirts, later spread to two other adjoining tanks, Jawahar Nagar police station inspector A B Mori said.

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Two persons -- contractual worker Dhimant Makwana (who succumbed to injury on Monday) and canteen worker Shailesh Makwana -- died in the fire, he said.

An IOCL official received injuries and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, Mori said.

Dharmendrasinh Vaghela, the BJP MLA of the Waghodia assembly constituency where the refinery complex is located, said the PSU's management has agreed to pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the next to the kin of each of the deceased, as well as jobs to their respective wife and also fund education of their children.

"I had a meeting with IOCL officers. The refinery has agreed to pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the families of each deceased, take up responsibility for education of their children and provide jobs to their respective wife as per their educational qualification," Vaghela told PTI.

Indian Oil has not yet issued any official statement in this regard.

Meanwhile, the central PSU, in a statement said, the blaze was fully extinguished at around 2 am on Tuesday by the company's fire fighting teams and mutual aid partners. It said the refinery operations were now normal, ensuring uninterrupted production. “We have constituted a high-level committee to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident. Further updates will be shared as we work towards it,” the statement said.

One victim succumbed to injury suffered at the site, while another fell unconscious and was admitted in hospital where he died later, said the PSU. “The exact reason for loss of lives will be ascertained after due post-mortem. Rest of personnel, plant and machinery are safe. The area is being secured for safety,” it added.

The blaze was brought under control after extensive efforts involving several fire tenders brought in from nearby cities and towns, officials said. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) DJ Chavda told reporters late Monday night that the fire had spread to adjoining storage tanks.

Visuals showed thick plumes of smoke emerging from the refinery which could be seen from several kilometres away. Several workers were evacuated after the incident.

Following the fire, fluid circulation in the IOCL complex was stopped as per the standard operating procedure. Other storage tanks were being cooled, Vadodara Police Commissioner Narasimha Komar said.

Employees on duty at the time of the fire were quickly moved out of the refinery, while personnel reaching the facility for subsequent shifts were sent back for safety reasons, he said.

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