10.8.18

BPCL Refinery fire put out after 11 hours

The fire that started on Wednesday after an explosion at the hydrocracker plant of Bharat Petroleum’s Mahul refinery was extinguished in the early hours of Thursday after raging for over 11 hours. A total of 43 persons were reported injured, of whom 22 had to be hospitalised. Nine have now been discharged.

BPCL has said it will form a high-level committee to investigate the cause of the explosion and fire, which started around 2.45 pm on Wednesday and was put out at 1.50 am the next day. The committee will also ascertain the extent of damage and losses.

Sources said that though the cause of fire is yet to be ascertained, leakage of gas from the hydrocracker plant cannot be ruled out. Sources said investigators will have to find out if there was a 'vapour cloud ignition'—the vapour cloud being a mixture of hydrogen and hydrogen sulphide gases. "The gas was burning and at high pressure, which was later regulated.”

No comments: