A fire broke out at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Gajuwaka industrial area of Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam late on Monday night, police said.
“The fire is believed to have erupted at the sulphur pitch tank of the refinery’s Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) within the HPCL refinery premises. The tank caught fire, resulting in eruption of flames and thick smoke,” Malkapuram inspector of police Prakash Rao told reporters.
Local residents said they had heard sounds of an explosion in the area, but the police authorities have not confirmed it. “Flames quickly spread to nearby areas, sending thick clouds of black smoke into the sky and engulfing the surrounding locality,” an employee of HPCL said.
Alarmed by the massive flames and thick smoke, residents in nearby areas rushed out of their homes. The incident triggered widespread panic among people living close to the refinery.
