Fire At Pachpadra Refinery Delays PM Modi’s Inauguration Visit

A fire at the Pachpadra Refinery in Rajasthan’s Balotra district on Monday led to the postponement of its scheduled inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas confirmed that the ceremony has been deferred following the incident near the Crude Distillation Unit at the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) facility.

The blaze has since been brought under control, and no casualties have been reported.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause, with a revised inauguration date to be announced later.

According to initial reports, the fire started around 2:00 PM after an explosion in an exchanger within the refinery’s Crude and Vacuum Distillation Unit. The flames spread rapidly, causing panic among personnel at the site.

Emergency protocols were swiftly implemented, and the refinery premises were evacuated as a precaution. All staff were safely escorted out, with no injuries reported.

Fire tenders, many already stationed nearby due to the planned high-profile visit, were immediately deployed.

Firefighters worked for nearly two hours to bring the situation under control. Cooling operations and safety checks are currently ongoing to prevent any flare-ups.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot termed the incident extremely unfortunate. He expressed concern over the refinery, which he described as a matter of pride for the state, and wished for the safety of all personnel.

Authorities have begun a detailed probe into the incident and are expected to implement additional safety measures if required.

Officials said further updates, including a new date for the inauguration, will be shared soon.

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