Fire destroys IOCL pipeline material in Paradip | Bhubaneswar News
Kendrapada: A massive fire broke out at Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s (IOCL’s) pipe stockyard in Paradip on Monday, destroying hundreds of rubber-insulated oil pipes meant for the Paradip-Haldia crude oil pipeline project. No casualties were reported.
The blaze, which started around 1:30 pm at zero point, rapidly engulfed the storage area, sending flames up to 30-ft height. Ten fire tenders were deployed to battle the fire, which was finally brought under control by 5 pm. “The fire incident is very unfortunate. We will investigate the exact cause, and those responsible will face strict action,” said Niranjan Behera, additional district magistrate (ADM), Paradip. The extent of damage is currently being evaluated.
The incident caused widespread panic among local residents and disrupted traffic for nearly four hours. “The fire and black smoke spread rapidly creating panic among people,” said Ramesh Chandra Sahani, a local shop owner.
Senior IOCL officials and police personnel rushed to the scene to assess the situation. The affected pipes were part of the Paradip-Haldia crude oil pipeline project, commissioned in 2009 at a cost of Rs 1,420 crore. The project, designed to transport 11 million tonnes of crude oil annually, includes a 330-km pipeline connecting Paradip with Haldia and Barauni refineries.
The pipeline infrastructure includes a single point mooring (SPM) system in Paradip’s offshore waters and a crude oil tank farm with 15 storage tanks. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. “The exact cause of the fire mishap is yet to be ascertained,” the ADM added.
The blaze, which started around 1:30 pm at zero point, rapidly engulfed the storage area, sending flames up to 30-ft height. Ten fire tenders were deployed to battle the fire, which was finally brought under control by 5 pm. “The fire incident is very unfortunate. We will investigate the exact cause, and those responsible will face strict action,” said Niranjan Behera, additional district magistrate (ADM), Paradip. The extent of damage is currently being evaluated.
The incident caused widespread panic among local residents and disrupted traffic for nearly four hours. “The fire and black smoke spread rapidly creating panic among people,” said Ramesh Chandra Sahani, a local shop owner.
Senior IOCL officials and police personnel rushed to the scene to assess the situation. The affected pipes were part of the Paradip-Haldia crude oil pipeline project, commissioned in 2009 at a cost of Rs 1,420 crore. The project, designed to transport 11 million tonnes of crude oil annually, includes a 330-km pipeline connecting Paradip with Haldia and Barauni refineries.
The pipeline infrastructure includes a single point mooring (SPM) system in Paradip’s offshore waters and a crude oil tank farm with 15 storage tanks. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. “The exact cause of the fire mishap is yet to be ascertained,” the ADM added.
