Fire completely extinguished by 2:47 pm; investigation into the cause is underway.
MANGALURU (India CSR): One person died and another who sustained burn injuries is undergoing treatment after a fire at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) in Mangaluru on Wednesday.
According to MRPL, the incident occurred at around 12:20 pm following the rupture of a Cold Separator operating at high pressure in the Coker Hydrotreater Unit. The rupture led to a fire within the affected area of the refinery.
The company informed India CSR that the battery limits of the affected unit were immediately isolated. Its emergency response and firefighting teams were deployed to control the situation. The fire was brought under control and completely extinguished by 2:47 pm, MRPL said in its further update.
During subsequent combing and inspection operations after the firefighting activity, one fatality was reported from the affected site. MRPL said a person with burn injuries was undergoing treatment at a hospital and was being provided necessary medical care.
The company did not identify the deceased or disclose the total number of people affected in its official statement. It said further verified information would be shared as and when available.
Police officials have said that the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined and an investigation is underway. Senior police and district officials visited the refinery premises and monitored the situation, according to media reports.
MRPL, a Schedule-A Central Public Sector Enterprise and subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), operates a 15 million metric tonnes per annum refinery at Kuthethoor near Mangaluru. The refinery produces petroleum products and petrochemicals for domestic and export markets.
The incident highlights the importance of rigorous process-safety systems, emergency preparedness and transparent post-incident assessment at high-pressure industrial facilities. The outcome of the technical investigation will be important in establishing the cause of the Cold Separator rupture, assessing any operational impact and identifying necessary preventive measures.
