A fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery in Rajasthan’s Balotra district on Monday, a day before its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The blaze was reported in the CDU (Crude Distillation Unit) section of the facility.
Videos showing thick smoke billowing from the site circulated widely on social media, even as fire tenders rushed to the spot and efforts were underway to bring the flames under control. No immediate reports of casualties were available, officials told PTI.
The refinery, where the fire broke out in the CDU section, is India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, built at an investment of over Rs 79,450 crore.
Officials said Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma is scheduled to visit the site later in the day.
With a high-profile inauguration planned on Tuesday, the incident triggered emergency response measures within the premises as teams moved quickly to contain the situation. The blaze has also raised concerns over safety preparedness at the site, according to PTI.
Authorities said a detailed assessment of the damage is underway, with more information expected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the refinery on Tuesday.
In a separate instance in October last year, a train on Mumbai’s Metro-3 corridor broke down days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate a section of the project, forcing passenger evacuation and raising concerns over operational readiness.
