Blast and fire at Mangaluru refinery brought under control

A blast and fire at Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited’s Coker Hydrotreater unit in Mangaluru were brought under control on Wednesday, police said. Reports described injuries at the site, while accounts differed over whether the incident caused a death. The cause of the blast remains under investigation. Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy said firefighters had brought the blaze under control. MRPL’s spokesperson said the affected unit had been evacuated. Officials and fire crews responded at the refinery, located near Jokatte, and worked to contain the fire. The injury reports were not consistent. Several accounts said eight people were hurt, including Rajesh Baptist, who suffered burns reported as affecting about 35 per cent of his body. Doctors said he was out of danger and receiving treatment in an intensive care unit. Six people in an adjacent office were described as having minor injuries and receiving outpatient treatment. Another account reported nine injured, in addition to a fatality, so the available reports do not establish a definitive casualty total.