Haldia Petrochemicals shuts down plant after fire leaves 15 injured

The management of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) on Saturday shut down its plant following the fire incident at its naphtha cracker unit (NCU).

Sources said that the management has formed an advisory committee comprising internal and external experts which would determine the cause of the fire and the extent of damage caused by it.

The fire broke out at the company's Haldia plant in West Bengal on Friday, leaving at least 15 people injured.

"The management will decide on when the plant could be made operational after the assessment of the committee", the sources said.

Out of 15 employees injured, two of them have been discharged after treatment and "three of them are in criticial condition", sources said.

The company said that doctor's at the plant referred the injured patients to hospitals having specialised treatment facilities for burn injuries in Kolkata.

The HPL board, in its meeting held on Friday evening, has been apprised of the incident.

"While expressing their regret over the incident, they have authorised management to take all appropriate action for the welfare of the injured staffers and provide support to their families", the company said in a statement.

HPL is one of the largest manufacturers of polymers in India.