Fire at ONGC plant in Surat extinguished; no casualty, injury reported

A massive fire broke out at an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) plant in Surat, Gujarat in the wee hours of Thursday, ANI reported. No one has been injured in the accident so far, ONGC said. 

The blaze, which was preceded by three blasts, has been extinguished, the official said, adding no one was hurt.

The ONGC in a tweet said, "A fire was observed in the Hazira Gas processing plant in the morning today. Fire has been brought under control. There is no casualty or injury to any person.

The reason for the massive fire is being attributed to three consecutive blasts that took place at two terminals of the Hazira-based ONGC plant in Surat at around 3:30 am. The sound could be heard at a distance of over 10 km. 

"The activity of depressurising the pressurised gas system underway by ONGC officials," said Dr Dhaval Patel, Surat Collector. The cause of the fire will be ascertained after cooling operations are completed, he added. "Other plants in the vicinity are operating as usual. I am told that the ONGC plant will also become partially operational in two to three hours," he said.

There was no confirmation from the district administration of reports that the fire was apparently caused by a rupture in the 36-inch Uran-Mumbai gas pipeline.

A source familiar with the matter said the Hazira plant processes gas from the Bassein gas field, offshore Maharashtra state, south of Gujarat.

Firefighters were rushed to the spot, who have brought the fire under control.