Fire at HPCL Visakhapatnam refinery brought under control

A fire at Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (HPCL) Visakhapatnam refinery was brought under control, and officials reported no injuries or deaths. The cause had not been confirmed, and accounts differed on whether the blaze was fully extinguished or still producing smoke. The fire broke out late Monday, November 2, at the refinery in Andhra Pradesh. A report placed it in a pitch tank within the facility’s Residue Upgradation Facility. Another account described the fire as starting in the Pitch Tower. The exact location within the unit was not independently established across the accounts. Revenue Divisional Officer Dileep Chakravarthy, who inspected the site, said the fire was fully extinguished using refinery equipment and equipment deployed by the Andhra Pradesh Fire Department. Malkapuram police inspector E. Narasimha Rao said HPCL’s internal fire and safety department responded and the situation was under control. A separate account said firefighters had controlled the main fire while thick smoke continued to rise from the pitch unit. Officials said no injuries or fatalities had been reported. The fire prompted safety measures at the site. One account said power...