Mumbai: Over 40 injured in BPCL refinery blaze

At least 45 people were injured after a level-III fire broke out at the Hydro Cracker plant of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) refinery here in Chembur on Wednesday.

"Fire and blast in Hydrocarbon plant containing 72-ton hydrocarbon used for Diesel generation in Cacking vacuum gas oil and hydrocarbon unit thereby causing damage to nearby plants," a statement from the Maharashtra fire department said.

While 22 of the injured were given preliminary treatment at the BPCL medical centre before being discharged, the remaining 21 were sent to Sushrut Hospital Chembur for further treatment.

The charges of the incident have been handed over to the Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO) by the CFO, informed the Maharashtra fire department.

Eight to ten monitors of the BPCL, mutual aid response group and fire brigade were engaged in dousing the flame. Meanwhile, all plants have been depressurised and shut down for safety reasonse, while remaining hydrocarbon is kept under controlled burning process until the stock of hydrocarbon is exhausted.

The cooling process is underway and the situation is under control.